lUGH  SEIFCONTROL 

IN  THINKING.  BREATHING.  EATING 


■     .  ■■■    ■  ^  ■■-■  v        .  o  :/'::y 


Columbia  {HmbersitA 
m  tfje  Cttp  of  JHeto  gorfe 

COLLEGE  OF  PHYSICIANS 
AND   SURGEONS 


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i~i  ,  t  o\  (a*} 


HEALTH 


THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 


IN 


THINKING,  BREATHING,  EATING 


BY 

WILLIAM  ANTHONY  SPINNEY,  A.M. 

Teacher  of  Mental  and  Physical  Culture 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,   LEE   &    SHEPARD   CO. 


INTRODUCTION 

This  book  is  composed  chiefly  of  several  lec- 
tures that  the  author  has  given  during  several 
years  before  public  and  parlor  audiences  and 
to  his  and  Mrs.  Spinney's  private  students  in 
connection  with  their  courses  in  "  Mental  and 
Physical  Poise  through  Diaphragmatic  Breath- 
ing, Scientific  Physical  Culture,  and  Correct 
Nutrition."  It  is  published  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  his  lecture  listeners,  and  of  their  pri- 
vate pupils. 

Its  purpose  is  to  prove  that  health  of  body 
and  mind  is  a  science  and  an  art,  and  not  in 
any  respect  a  haphazard  matter;  that  all  can 
live  more  successfully  here  and  now.  Tech- 
nical language  has  been  avoided. 

If  any  statements  seem  unreasonable,  before 
deciding,  read  or  reread  any  of  the  following: 
Prof.  William  James's  "  Talks  to  Teachers  " 
and  "  Principles  of  Psychology,"  Dr.  Byron 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

Robinson's  "  Abdominal  Brain,' '  Dr.  Angelo 
Mosso's  "  Fear,"  Dr.  Thomas  Jay  Hudson's 
"  Law  of  Psychic  Phenomena,"  Prof.  Elmer 
Gates's  "  Brain  and  Mind,"  Doctor  Airelle's 
"  The  Body  as  a  Conductor  of  Electricity," 
Mr.  Horace  Fletcher's  "  The  A,  B  — Z  of  Our 
Own  Nutrition,"  Dr.  Luther  H.  Gulick's  arti- 
cles in  The  World's  Work  Magazine,  1906, 
Mr.  Newton  N.  Eidell's  "  The  New  Man,  or 
Knights  of  the  Twentieth  Century,"  Dr.  Henry 
Eussell  Chittenden's  "  Physiological  Economy 
in  Nutrition,"  Dr.  C.  E.  Page's  "  Natural 
Cure,"  Mr.  Nikolai  Notovitch's  "  The  Un- 
known Life  of  Jesus  Christ,"  Dr.  Albert  Har- 
ris Hoy's  "  Eating  and  Drinking,"  Mr.  Will- 
iam G.  Jordan's  "  Majesty  of  Calmness  "  and 
"  Kingship  of  Self-control,"  Dr.  C.  H.  Hen- 
derson's "  Education  and  the  Larger  Life." 


FOREWORD 

The  science  and  art  of  health  are  just  as 
exact  as  the  science  and  art  of  agriculture, 
mechanics,  chemistry,  or  electricity. 

"  Prevention  of  disease  is  as  much  ahead  of 
curing  disease  as  preventing  a  crime  is  ahead 
of  sending  the  criminal  to  prison." 

A  really  sound  person  is  the  rarest  thing  in 
the  world.  Out  of  three  hundred  of  the  most 
likely  specimens  of  women,  a  very  reliable  phy- 
sician pronounced  only  eight  of  them  well.  In 
the  examination  of  men,  the  showing  was  less 
favorable. 

"  If  sickness  were  the  exception  and  not  the 
rule,  health  would  not  be  the  stock  question 
everywhere  and  always  as  it  is  now.  We  de- 
light in  a  subject  we  know  nothing  about,  — 
well  illustrated  by  the  clergyman  who,  at  the 
prayer-meeting,  said  that  he  loved  to  talk  about 
religion  because  he  had  so  little  of  it  himself. '  ■ 

ii 


x  FOBEWOKD 

Physiology  and  psychology  should  be  inte- 
gral parts  of  theology  and  religion.  Moral 
reform  underlies  true  sanitary  reform. 
"  Christianity  should  be  health  and  the  means 
of  escaping  from  disease." 

11  Science  helps  us  to  catch  ourselves  up  and 
check  ourselves  if  we  start  to  reason  or  behave 
wrongly;  to  criticize  ourselves  more  articu- 
lately after  we  have  made  mistakes.  A  science 
only  lays  down  lines  within  which  the  rules  of 
the  art  must  fall,  laws  which  the  follower  of 
the  art  must  not  transgress,  but  what  partic- 
ular things  he  shall  positively  do  within  these 
lines  is  left  exclusively  to  his  own  genius." 


Health  Through  Self-Control 

In  Thinking,  Breathing,  Eating 


CHAPTER   I 

BREATHING 

One  is  what  he  thinks,  acts,  breathes,  and 
eats,  an  individual  potential  entity  in  the  uni- 
verse, working  out  his  salvation  amidst  his 
environments. 

Food  is  taken,  and  by  the  digestive  appara- 
tus is  put  into  the  blood-circulating  system. 
Air  is  breathed  into  the  lungs,  and  oxygen  is 
put  into  the  blood,  and,  as  a  constituent  of  it, 
circulates  with  it  to  all  the  tissues  of  the  body. 

The  blood,  composed  of  oxygen  and  food, 

water  included,  builds  and  replenishes  the  body, 

and  while  in  the  body  the  circulation  of  the 

blood  is  a  life-necessity.    No  note  is  taken  here 

of  the  theories  that  nitrogen  is  inhaled  into  the 

l 


2       HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

blood,  nitrogen  for  the  negative  electric  condi- 
tion, oxygen  for  the  positive,  or  that  neither 
gas  goes  into  the  blood,  but  that  their  effect  on 
the  inflating  and  deflating  lungs  brings  about 
all  the  necessary  results. 

An  inhalation  in  its  widest  sense  means  that 
oxygen  has  reached  all  parts  of  the  body. 
Thinking  and  muscular  activity  cause  oxidiza- 
tion of  food,  forming  carbon  dioxide  and  other 
products.  Warmth,  strength,  life  are  thus 
manifested. 

More  than  half  the  waste  or  used  matter  thus 
produced  leaves  the  body  by  way  of  the  lungs, 
being  carried  thither  in  the  blood  from  all  parts 
of  the  body.  This  exit  of  waste  product  is  an 
exhalation. 

The  ingoing  and  the  outgoing  of  these  gases 
are  respiration. 

Speaking  in  general  terms,  life  consists  in 
the  ingo  of  oxygen  and  food,  their  chemical 
combinings,  and  their  outgo,  consciously,  sub- 
consciously, or  unconsciously. 

What  one  exhales  would  be  harmful,  if  it  re- 
mained in  the  body,  but  it  is  food  for  the  vege- 


BEEATHING  3 

table  kingdom,  which  analyzes  this  carbon  diox- 
ide, retains  the  carbon  for  its  tissues,  returning 
the  oxygen  to  the  atmosphere,  which  the  animal 
kingdom  inhales  for  new  life. 

The  products  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  are 
eaten  by  man  and  the  lower  animals,  so  it  turns 
out  that  man  helps  to  feed  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, and  it  largely  feeds  him.  Whether  one 
is  a  vegetarian  or  a  meatarian,  he  must  credit 
the  plant  kingdom  for  food,  as  animal  food 
is  a  product  of  the  plant  kingdom.  Me  serve 
and  are  served. 

The  mineral  kingdom  also  serves  the  vege- 
table and  animal  kingdoms,  and  is  served  by 
them.  ' '  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters ;  for 
thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days."  Put  thy 
breath  into  the  air;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after 
many  days.  — * 

One  inhales  life,  oxygen,  a  gift  from  the  plant 
kingdom,  and  he  exhales  carbon  dioxide,  life 
to  the  plant  kingdom.     Life  and  love.     This   S^^ 
breathing   and   eating    and   their   results    are  J 
superintended  by  the  thinking,  the  mind.     If 
the  three  factors,  thinking,  breathing,  and  eat- 


4        HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

ing,  are  fairly  efficient,  an  equilibrium  is  estab- 
lished, and  this  is  health.  If  health  does  not 
exist,  then  one  or  two  or  all  these  factors  are 
inefficient.  In  any  case  the  thinking  should  be 
the  recognized  leader. 

When  one  feels  well,  his  blood  has,  at  least, 
two  times  as  much  oxygen  by  weight  as  di- 
gested food  in  it,  i.  e.  two  ounces  of  oxygen  for 
every  ounce  of  digested  food,  for  the  replenish- 
ing and  the  work  of  the  body.  If  the  full 
amount  of  oxygen  is  not  present  all  the  time, 
the  digested  food  cannot  find  its  mate,  oxygen, 
with  which  to  perform  the  functions  of  the 
body,  and  weakness,  non-health,  prevails. 

Food  is  of  no  use  without  the  oxygen,  and 
oxygen  is  of  no  use  without  the  food.  "  Use- 
less each  without  the  other.' ' 

A  regular  physician  of  excellent  standing 
writes  in  the  New  York  Medical  Journal  that 
people  on  an  average  do  not  breathe  one-half 
enough  oxygen  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
blood  food,  that  all  diseases  primarily  are 
caused  by  lack  of  oxygen,  that  all  diseases  can 
be  cured  by  adequate  oxygen,  that  medical  col- 


BEEATHING  5 

leges  should  teach  "  deep  breathing  "  under 
favorable  physical  culture  conditions.  This 
article  is  an  address  that  was  given  before  a 
national  convention  of  physicians  and  sur- 
geons. 

When  the  breathing  is  not  sufficient,  the 
blood  lacks  oxygen,  and  it  cannot  get  rid  of 
its  waste,  carbon  dioxide,  for  only  as  much 
waste  can  go  out  through  the  lungs  as  oxygen 
can  get  in  through  the  lungs,  and  these  acts 
take  place  at  their  best  when  the  lungs  inflate 
and  deflate  sufficiently. 

This  waste  matter  soon  renders  the  tissues 
and  blood  of  the  body  very  impure.  When 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  blood  is  oxygen,  its 
purity  prevents  the  increase  of  bacteria  to  or 
beyond  the  danger  point.  Insufficient  breath- 
ing reduces  this  per  cent,  of  oxygen  to  the 
danger  or  disease  point,  where  bacteria  in- 
crease in  number,  in  a  short  time,  so  rapidly 
that  the  chemistry  of  the  body  becomes  abnor- 
mal, and  disease  or  "  unease  "  exists. 

These  bacteria  reproduce,  die,  decay,  ferment 
in  the  tissues,  poison  the  tissues.    The  bacteria 


6       HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

are  not  the  cause  of  the  disease,  but  they  show 
the  condition  of  the  system ;  the  bacteria  being 
thus  producible  only  by  the  filthy  tissue  condi- 
tions, they  are  a  result,  not  primarily  a  cause. 
An  antitoxine  serum,  as  Koch's  for  diphtheria, 
may  succeed  in  arousing  the  leucocytes  to  be- 
come phagocytes  to  devour  the  bacteria  and 
make  them  over  chemically  into  a  harmless 
product,  or  to  eliminate  them  quickly,  but  oxy- 
gen enough  in  the  blood  is  a  better  antitoxine 
or  poison  cure  even  after  the  disease  is  estab- 
lished, but  better  still  is  it  as  a  preventive  of 
disease  by  an  adequate  quantity  of  it  being  ever 
present.  Eemember  that  the  oxygen  and  the 
food,  in  the  proportion  of  two  to  one  at  the 
least,  constitute  the  blood  at  its  best,  and  that 
the  blood  forms  all  the  tissues  by  its  circula- 
tion, and  that  the  vitality  of  any  one,  other 
things  being  equal,  depends  on  enough  oxygen 
coming  into  the  system  and  enough  carbon 
dioxide  getting  out  of  the  system,  by  way  of 
the  lungs. 

In  a  daily  paper  recently,  it  was  reported 
that  during  a  severe  wind-storm  at  sea,  several 


BKEATHING  7 

on  board  the  ship  were  confined  in  a  small 
cabin.  In  about  an  hour,  when  the  storm 
abated,  the  occupants  were  found  dead.  Why? 
Aside  from  fear  and  other  negative  emotions, 
which  will  be  considered  in  another  chapter, 
the  oxygen  in  the  tightly  closed  cabin  being 
all  "  breathed  up,"  though  the  breathing  act 
tended  to  continue,  the  outbreathed  carbon 
dioxide  and  the  nitrogen  could  not  support  life. 

The  presence,  in  excess,  of  the  carbon  diox- 
ide in  the  tissues  would  tend  to  paralyze  all 
functions. 

Not  many  years  ago  it  used  to  happen  that 
lamps  and  candles  would  wane  and  sometimes 
"  go  out  "  during  religious  services  in  packed 
small  rooms,  with  doors  and  windows  all  closed. 
This  phenomenon  was  interpreted  as  a  sign 
that  God  was  displeased  with  the  sinners  pres- 
ent. In  this  case  the  oxygen  was  used  and  car- 
bon dioxide  was  formed,  the  flames  were  not 
fed,  and  the  death  of  the  carbon  and  oxygen 
union  made  darkness. 

To-day  many  think  God  is  angry  with  them 
because  they  are  suffering  from  an  unkept  and 


8       HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

non-understood  law,  even  the  law  of  health. 
"  Evil  is  undeveloped  good." 

Enough  food  is  taken  at  one  meal  to  satisfy 
the  body's  needs  for  several  hours.  One  can 
fast  for  weeks  or  months  and  live,  using  the 
stored-up  tissue  of  his  body.  Food  is  stored 
up.  Oxygen  cannot  be  stored  up  thus.  Some 
animals  can  store  away  air,  and  can  omit  the 
lung  act  for  a  time,  but  man  must  breathe  prac- 
tically all  the  time,  adequately  to  his  life  func- 
tioning. Divers  in  the  primitive  way,  who  held 
the  breath  in  two  minutes  under  water  at  a 
time,  did  not  live  beyond  middle  age. 

If  breathing  could  be  omitted  six  minutes, 
death  would  ensue.  "  The  Spirit  of  God  hath 
made  me  and  the  breath  of  the  Almighty  hath 
given  me  life."  If  six  minutes  without  oxygen 
means  death,  surely  one-half  enough  oxygen  all 
the  time  means  half-living  or  half -dying  all  the 
time,  physically,  mentally,  spiritually.  That 
is,  one  would  under  this  condition  show  less 
physical  strength,  less  mental  clearness,  less 
spiritual  development  of  his  mind  into  peace 
and  good-will.    Diseases  would  tend  to  develop. 


BEEATHING  9 

The  mind  at  its  best  makes  its  body  out  of 
at  least  two  times  as  much  oxygen  as  digested 
food  by  weight  in  the  blood.  This  is  a  scientific 
statement  as  fundamental  to  health  as  any  law 
in  chemistry,  in  electricity,  or  in  planetary 
movements,  is  to  harmony  in  those  depart- 
ments. 

The  writer  intends  to  make  none  but  scientific 
statements  throughout  this  book.  The  state- 
ments may  prove  later  to  be  in  error  by  further 
investigation,  as  often  is  the  case  in  scientific 
work,  but  the  principle  to  be  taught  will  tend 
in  the  right  direction,  nearest  truth. 

One-half  enough  oxygen  in  the  system  all  the 
time  means  that  enough  carbon  dioxide  is  not 
being  exhaled,  that  the  blood  is  non-vital,  builds 
weak  tissues,  generates  inefficient  digestive 
juices,  fulfils  the  law  that  brings  forth  harm- 
ful bacterial  production,  induces  disease,  less 
life,  shorter  life. 

The  reaction  of  this  condition  of  the  body 
through  the  nervous  system  on  the  total  mind 
is  depressing,   and  causes  the  mind  to  be  a 


10     HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

weaker  leader.  Action,  reaction,  interaction 
may  easily  thus  bring  about  death. 

Enough  oxygen  taken  in  all  the  time  means 
that  enough  carbon  dioxide  is  being  exhaled, 
that  the  blood  is  rich,  is  building  good  vital 
tissue,  good  digestive  juices,  that  bacteria  can- 
not develop  to  the  danger  point,  that  ease  and 
not  disease  results,  that  health  abounds,  more 
life,  longer  life. 

In  this  condition,  the  reaction  of  the  bodily 
sensations  on  the  total  mind  is  exhilarating 
and  helps  to  make  the  mind  a  still  better  di- 
rector. Here  action,  reaction,  and  interaction 
tend  to  develop  "  perfect  health." 


CHAPTER  II 

DIAPHRAGMATIC   BREATHING 

The  chest  or  thorax  contains  the  lungs  and 
heart.  The  breast-bone,  the  ribs  and  back- 
bone form  its  bony  framework.  The  chest  is 
closed  underneath  by  the  diaphragm,  a  very 
elastic  muscular  membrane. 

The  chest  capacity  can  be  enlarged  by  rais- 
ing and  pushing  out  the  bony  framework,  espe- 
cially the  ribs.  The  lung  tissue  being  elastic, 
the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere,  at  the  rate 
of  fourteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch  on  the 
nasal  apertures,  inflates  the  lungs  by  the  inflow 
of  air  as  the  chest  capacity  increases.  This 
is  inhalation.  The  exhalation  results  in  this 
case  by  the  elasticity  of  the  rib  and  abdominal 
muscles  and  gravity  action.  This  represents 
rib  breathing  of  one  kind  or  another. 

If   the   ribs,    the   bony   framework,    remain 

11 


12     HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

fairly  quiescent  and  the  diaphragm  is  moved 
down  and  forward,  air,  for  the  same  reason  as 
in  rib  breathing,  will  inflate  the  lungs.  The 
elasticity  of  the  diaphragm  and  other  muscles 
will  bring  about  the  exhalation.  This  illus- 
trates diaphragmatic  breathing. 

The  diaphragmatic  method  of  breathing  mas- 
sages the  spleen,  stomach,  liver,  and  other 
viscera  below  the  diaphragm,  and  the  lungs 
and  heart  above  it.  All  these  organs,  viscera, 
are  by  ligaments,  muscles,  or  membranes  at- 
tached to  each  other,  so  that  diaphragmatic 
breathing  brings  about  excellent  internal  phys- 
ical culture,  which  is  so  necessary  to  vitality. 

This  movement  assists  the  lymph  and  blood 
circulation,  relieves  the  heart.  A  two  hundred 
pounds'  pressure  can  be  exerted  by  the  dia- 
phragm, partly  in  pushing  the  spleen,  stomach, 
and  liver  anteriorly  in  the  region  just  below  the 
breast-bone,  and  partly  in  pressing  downward 
on  the  other  viscera  below.  The  exhalation 
causes  the  organs  to  relax  into  position.  The 
depression  and  rising  in  the  region  below  the 
lower  end  of  the  breast-bone  can  easily  be  seen 


DIAPHEAGMATIC   BREATHING  13 

and  felt.  This  alternation  of  pressure  and  re- 
laxation induces  the  opening  and  closing  of  the 
pores  throughout  the  body.  This  is  an  assist- 
ant respiration.  It  helps  efficient  elimination 
through  perspiration,  sensible  and  insensible. 
This  also  adds  to  the  vitality  of  the  body  when 
bathing  is  impossible. 

Diaphragmatic  breathing  tends  to  equalize 
the  positive  and  negative  electrical  condition 
of  the  body,  to  bring  poise.  Abdominal  obesity 
is  removed  and  prevented  by  this  way  of 
breathing.  Diaphragmatic  breathing  puts  more 
oxygen  into  the  system  than  rib  breathing  does 
and  exercises  the  obese  abdominal  region.  It 
thus  can  oxidize  the  surplus  fat.  Undue  obes- 
ity in  any  part  of  the  body  is  favorably  acted 
upon.  Constipation  and  indigestion  can  in  this 
way  be  banished.  The  lower  and  upper  lobes 
of  the  lungs  are  aroused  to  full  work,  upper 
chest  development  follows,  and  a  more  erect 
bodily  attitude  is  assumed,  which  gives  of  itself 
encouragement. 

Bronchitis  and  asthma  are  relieved,  cured. 
Expectoration  ceases  as  all  the  lung  air-cells 


14     HEALTH    THEOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

become  used.  Bacilli  tuberculoses  or  consump- 
tion bacteria  cannot  thrive  to  a  harmful  degree 
in  fully  used  lungs.  Eib  breathing  of  any  kind 
does  not  sensibly  act  on  the  diaphragm.  Upper 
chest  or  clavicular  breathing,  occurring  most  in 
women,  in  no  way  uses  the  diaphragm.  Rib 
breathing  causes  air  to  come  into  the  lungs  and 
mixed  air  to  go  out,  but  it  does  none  of  the 
good  things  that  are  here  written  concerning 
diaphragmatic  breathing,  or  at  least  not  in  any 
marked  degree.  It  can  cause  but  little  if  any 
internal  physical  culture  below  the  diaphragm. 

Many  persons  are  partly  diaphragmatic  and 
partly  rib  breathers.  Rib  breathing  tends  to 
depress  the  upper  chest;  this  has  a  discourag- 
ing effect.  Less  oxygen  and  food  in  the  blood 
are  used  to  carry  on  diaphragmatic  as  com- 
pared with  rib  breathing.  Chiefly  one  muscle, 
the  diaphragm,  is  used  and  nourished  in  breath- 
ing with  it,  but  in  rib  breathing  very  many  rib- 
muscles  and  other  tissues  are  used  and  nour- 
ished. 

To  learn  to  breathe  diaphragmatically,  it  is 
wise  to  see  a  diaphragmatic  breather  inhale  and 


DIAPHRAGMATIC   BREATHING  15 

exhale  slowly  and  deeply,  noting  and  feeling 
the  process.  Then  placing  one's  hand  on  the 
region  before  referred  to,  centre  the  mind  on 
the  hand,  making  it  move  out  when  inhaling  and 
in  when  exhaling.  "When  the  lungs  are  being 
filled,  if  the  diaphragm  is  used,  it  must  push 
against  spleen,  stomach,  and  liver,  thus  push- 
ing the  hand  out  forward.  The  movement  is 
more  easily  obtained  and  recognized  when  one 
is  lying  peacefully  on  his  back,  with  hand  in 
proper  place. 

The  more  the  diaphragm  does  the  work,  the 
less  the  ribs  will  have  to  do,  so  think  only  of 
the  diaphragm  when  practising.  The  more 
peaceful  and  cheerful  one  is,  the  better  the  dia- 
phragm responds. 

Healthy  children,  healthy  savages,  healthy 
animals  are  diaphragmatic  breathers.  The 
first  breathing  a  babe  does  is  after  birth,  and 
it  is  diaphragmatic  if  the  child  is  well. 

Every  one  while  peacefully  asleep  breathes 
or  tends  to  breathe  diaphragmatically.  During 
a  nightmare,  the  ribs  would  do  the  work.  If 
one  could  always  live  peacefully,  not  inactively 


16     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF  -  CONTKOL 

necessarily,  he  would  continue  to  use  the  dia- 
phragm. The  writer  tested  the  breathing  of 
a  gentleman  about  eighty  years  of  age,  and  it 
was  found  to  be  exceptionally  poised.  On  in- 
quiry if  his  breathing  was  always  like  that,  he 
replied  that  when  he  became  disturbed  at  home 
or  at  work,  he  noticed  his  ribs  would  begin  to 
take  on  action  as  his  diaphragm  did  less  work. 

As  soon  as  one  knows  the  general  disposition 
of  a  person,  he  may  know  how  he  breathes,  and 
vice  versa. 

Eib  breathing  arises  from  self-consciousness, 
hurry,  worry,  fear,  hustle,  impurity,  fault-find- 
ing, despondency,  and  the  like.  Habits  of  mind 
the  reverse  of  these  induce  diaphragmatic 
breathing.  There  are  outward  causes  also  for 
rib  activity,  some  of  which  are  constriction  at 
the  waist,  condition  of  the  atmosphere,  inac- 
tivity. Why  should  not  diaphragmatic  breath- 
ing remain  throughout  life,  and  why  should  not 
sufficient  oxygen  always  get  into  the  lungs? 
Why  are  they  not  guaranteed  to  us? 

Breathing  and  mind  states  have  a  close  rela- 
tion.    People  who  are  uniformly  courageous 


DIAPHEAGMATIC   BEEATHING  17 

are  efficient  diaphragmatic  breathers.  Efficient 
diaphragmatic  breathers  are  uniformly  cour- 
ageous. Uniformly  sad  people  are  rib  and  in- 
efficient breathers  and  vice  versa. 

Professional  athletes  are  usually  strenuous 
rib  breathers.  The  writer  has  seen  at  least 
two  notable  exceptions  who  breathed  dia- 
phragmatically  all  the  time  during  the  most 
arduous  performances.  Their  whole  bearing 
was  quite  different  from  the  average  profes- 
sional. 

When  one  is  in  a  state  of  mind  called  curi- 
osity, he  inclines  to  hold  his  breath  or  make  it 
hitchy.  A  thief,  a  murderer,  hold  the  breath 
when  about  to  act.  "When  one  is  writing,  if  not 
in  perfect  peace,  he  holds  his  breath,  breathes 
fitfully,  long  and  short.  There  may  be  some 
heredity  in  some  of  these  cases,  if  the  theory  of 
evolution  is  true,  as  holding  the  breath,  in  our 
remote  ancestors,  would  lessen  noise  and  pro- 
tect them  from  the  enemy.  The  same  motive 
would  lead  a  thief  to  hold  his  breath  possibly, 
but  thinking  man,  if  fearless,  does  not  hold  his 
breath  instinctively. 


18     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

When  one  concludes  to  save  a  person  from 
danger  and  accident,  he  takes  in  a  full  breath 
as  he  starts  to  do  the  good  deed.  The  wary, 
conscious  murderer  holds  his  breath  out,  thus 
injuring  himself  first;  the  goodly,  courageous 
man  going  into  danger  holds  his  breath  in,  if 
he  holds  it  at  all,  thus  strengthening  himself 
first. 

Man  could  not  have  any  career  or  free  agency 
if  sufficient  oxygen  and  diaphragmatic  breath- 
ing were  guaranteed  to  him.  With  efficient 
breathing  all  the  time,  one  would  have  no  sal- 
vation to  work  out.  "  He  that  controlleth  his 
spirit  is  greater  than  he  that  taketh  a  city." 

A  harmful  state  of  mind,  as  curiosity,  hurry, 
can  quickly  be  banished  from  the  mind  by  some 
extra  deeper  breathing  done  with  the  mind  con- 
sciously on  the  breathing,  with  as  much  cheer- 
fulness as  can  be  assumed,  then  made  real. 
Oxygen  is  always  lacking  when  the  body  and 
mind  are  under  wrong  control,  therefore,  taking 
in  more  oxygen  is  as  sensible,  just  from  this 
point  of  view,  as  taking  phosphorus  or  iron  into 


DIAPHRAGMATIC   BREATHING  19 

the  system  in  food  is  when  the  body  lacks  either 
of  these. 

"  I  am  in  health,  I  breathe,"  writes  Shake- 
speare, and  "  Well,  breathe  awhile,  then  to  it 
again."  Paul  Tyner  says:  "  The  proportions 
of  oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  hydrogen  in  the  body 
of  an  individual  at  any  time  are  not  only  an 
indication  of  his  bodily  condition,  but  will  indi- 
cate his  spiritual  condition  also.  That  is  to 
say,  the  character  and  development  of  the  ego 
itself,  determine  the  composition  of  the  body, 
and  the  proportions  of  oxygen  and  nitrogen 
will  be  blended  in  exact  relative  proportions 
with  the  good  and  evil  in  the  man's  nature. 
Every  good  thought  increases  the  proportion  of 
oxygen,  as  a  deep  breath  does,  and  lessens  that 
of  nitrogen,  making  the  body  finer  or  more 
beautiful.  Every  evil  thought  or  impulse  in- 
creases the  nitrogen,  and  has  the  reverse  effect 
on  body  and  soul." 


CHAPTER   III 

VARIOUS   FACTS   ON   BREATHING 

In  one  person's  lungs,  on  an  average,  there 
are  725,000,000  air-cells  or  vesicles.  These  are 
not  half-used  now  by  the  average  breather. 
These  air-cell  walls,  ii'  spread  out,  would  pre- 
sent a  surface  of  290,000  square  inches,  or  about 
two  thousand  square  feet. 

During  twenty-four  hours,  eight  tons  of  blood 
pass  through  the  lungs  to  relieve  itself  of  car- 
bon dioxide  and  to  take  in  oxygen.  The  dis- 
appointment  experienced  in  finding  not  half 
enough  oxygen  is  expressed  in  body  and  mind 
sensations  of  weariness,  discouragement,  weak- 
ness. 

All  the  blood  passes  through  the  lungs  about 
every  three  minutes,  seeking  oxygen.  There 
are  thirty  pounds  of  blood  in  an  average  per- 
son in  circulation.     There  are  two  thousand 

20 


VARIOUS  FACTS   ON   BREATHING       21 

miles  of  tubing  for  the  blood  to  circulate 
through.  A  drop  of  blood  travels  per  day  168 
miles.  Each  heart-beat  pulses  along  two  and 
one-half  ounces  of  blood. 

Remembering  that  two  pounds  of  oxygen  are 
needed  for  every  one  pound  of  food  in  the  blood 
to  produce  health,  one  can  emphatically  realize 
how  weary,  weak,  and  distressed  such  blood 
must  feel  by  the  treatment  it  receives  in  the 
lungs,  as  here  outlined. 

The  heart  and  all  its  tubing  immediately  feel 
the  depression  from  lack  of  oxygen,  for  they  are 
doing  the  pumping  and  conducting  work  of  the 
body,  and  need  oxygen  and  food  combination 
every  second,  for  they  work  continuously.  The 
lungs  must  be  nourished  with  food  and  oxygen 
likewise,  for  they  work  all  the  time,  and  lack 
of  oxygen  in  the  blood  that  replenishes  the  lung 
muscles  and  other  tissues  is  quickly  devitaliz- 
ing.   "  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire." 

If  only  half  enough  oxygen  has  been  taken  in, 
only  half  of  the  adequate  food  can  be  used  for 
replenishing  all  the  tissues;  the  other  half  is 
useless,  a  drag  on  the  bodily  economy. 


22     HEALTH  THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

It  often  happens  that  many  persons  feel  hun- 
gry between  meals,  though  they  have  eaten 
heartily.  If  such  persons  will  breathe  more 
deeply  for  a  minute  or  two  and  drink  some 
water,  the  hungry  feeling  will  depart.  The 
body  asks  for  oxygen,  and  by  mistake  we  give 
it  food.  Some  people  do  not  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  to  their  bodies.  If  the  body  asks 
for  a  fish,  shall  we  give  it  a  stone? 

One-half  the  total  waste  of  the  body  should 
go  out  through  the  lungs,  but,  if  they  are  doing 
half-work,  some  of  the  waste  of  the  body 
which  cannot  get  out  through  the  lungs  will 
seek  exit  through  the  pores  and  kidneys,  inter- 
fering with  their  normal  work  and  that  of  other 
organs  also. 

There  are  other  products  besides  carbon  di- 
oxide that  pass  out  through  the  lungs.  Water 
vapor  and  other  excretions  are  present.  The 
charcoal  or  carbon  in  the  carbon  dioxide  that 
is  exhaled  during  twenty-four  hours  weighs 
one-half  pound ;  by  sensible  and  insensible  per- 
spiration, the  body  eliminates  about  two  pounds 
of  water  vapor;    there  is  much  oily  excretion 


VAEIOUS   FACTS    ON   BREATHING       23 

given  off  by  the  body.  To  upset  this  system 
by  putting  some  of  the  lungs'  work  upon  it 
is  very  harmful.  To  interfere  with  the  kid- 
neys' normal  work  is  still  more  harmful. 

Oxygen  is  a  grand  agent  and  it  seems  to  be 
omnipresent.  In  the  atmosphere  it  is  nearly 
one-fourth  its  weight;  in  the  body,  combined 
and  uncombined,  it  is  two-thirds ;  it  constitutes 
one-half  the  whole  earth's  crust;  it  forms 
eight-ninths  of  water. 

Oxygen  and  food  in  certain  conditions  pass 
into  the  blood  through  the  pores.  The  death 
of  the  gilded  boy  that  marched  with  the  church 
procession  in  Rome  was  caused  by  the  stoppage 
of  all  the  ingo  and  outgo  by  way  of  the  pores. 

One  can  easily  reason  how  shallow  breathers 
should  more  and  more  be  troubled  with  colds, 
asthma,  bronchitis,  consumption,  pneumonia, 
diphtheria,  and  all  defective  conditions  of  body 
and  mind.  There  are  all  degrees  of  a  disease, 
from  an  annoyance  to  death.  A  cold  may  be 
a  little  pneumonia,  consumption  a  great  deal 
of  bronchitis. 

Many   observing  physicians   have    declared 


24     HEALTH   THKOUGH  SELF-CONTROL 

that  man's  organs  under  average  behavior 
ought  to  last  three  hundred  years.  The  lungs 
are  underworked,  the  other  organs  are  over- 
worked, but  all  the  organs  depend  upon  the 
good  work  of  the  lungs  for  their  healthy  con- 
dition. The  lungs  themselves  depend  for  their 
vitality  upon  their  own  work. 

The  Old  Testament  recorded  long-livers  must 
have  been  deep  and  adequate  breathers.  Not 
so  much  hurry,  worry,  hustle  existed  then.  The 
lungs  are  the  most  important  organ,  but  they 
are  the  most  neglected  organ. 

"  I  haven't  time  to  breathe,' '  "  I'm  too  tired 
to  breathe,"  and  "  I'm  so  hurried  I  can't 
breathe,"  speak  volumes.  The  best  tonic  to 
take  at  all  times  is  oxygen.  The  only  guaran- 
teed blood  purifiers  are  the  lungs.  The  only 
successful  internal  physical  culture  is  dia- 
phragmatic breathing.  A  celebrated  athlete, 
about  twelve  years  ago,  was  a  rib  breather, 
and  he  was  scarcely  ever  free  from  lung  and 
digestive  troubles.  He  learned  to  breathe  dia- 
phragmatically,  and  all  his  ills  left  him  and 
have  not  returned.    He  is  "in  training  "  now 


VARIOUS   FACTS   ON    BREATHING       25 

always  without  training,  whereas  while  he  was 
a  rib  breather,  the  regular  athletic  practice  had 
to  be  taken  by  him  to  get  "  into  condition. ' ' 

Athletes  as  a  rule  die  under  forty  or  fifty 
years  of  age.  The  athlete  referred  to  claims 
to  cure,  by  diaphragmatic  breathing,  ninety 
per  cent,  of  all  consumptive  cases  entrusted  to 
him.  Statistics  show  that  one-half  of  all  deaths 
result  from  lung  diseases.  Of  course,  the  other 
half  of  the  deaths  are  caused  or  hastened  by 
lack  of  oxygen  or  efficient  breathing. 

Years  ago,  when  the  buffalo  flourished,  the 
Osage  Indians  used  to  go  on  their  annual  buf- 
falo hunts.  During  the  winter,  while  restricted 
in  their  freedom  of  living  on  government  res- 
ervation, these  Indians  always  developed 
toward  spring  serious  consumptive  tendencies. 
All  returned  from  the  annual  hunt  perfectly 
well. 

Not  more  than  five  per  cent,  of  the  oxygen 
taken  in  at  one  inhalation  is  absorbed  into  the 
blood,  and  the  nature  of  the  lung  tissue  may 
vary,  unfavorably  or  favorably  (from  fifteen 
to  thirty-five  per  cent.),  the  amount  of  the  oxy- 


26     HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

gen  getting  into,  and  the  carbon  dioxide  getting 
out  of,  the  blood.  There  are  refined  and  unre- 
fined lungs. 

After  the  most  exhaustive  deflation  of  the 
lungs  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  cubic 
inches  of  mixed  air  remain  there.  The  amount 
of  oxygen  taken  into,  and  of  carbon  dioxide  put 
out  of  the  lungs,  is  least  during  the  peaceful 
sleep  or  rest,  and  greatest  during  much  mus- 
cular and  mind  activity,  especially  if  the  mind 
is  in  a  cheerful  condition.  During  catalepsy 
almost  no  exchange  of  these  two  fluids  occurs. 

Adequate  breathing  is  when  this  exchange 
is  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  body  and  mind. 
It  is  wise  to  be  in  the  open  air  and  sunshine, 
but  being  in  the  air  does  not  necessarily  put 
oxygen  into  the  blood.  Being  in  pure  moving 
air  and  taking  in  an  adequate  amount  of  oxy- 
gen by  way  of  the  lungs  is  life. 

Many  persons  are  very  particular  that  their 
furniture,  bric-a-brac,  windows,  and  clothing 
shall  be  clean.  This  is  not  the  most  important 
matter.  The  air  in  the  rooms  should  be  kept 
clean,  pure,  kept  moving  out  of  and  into  the 


VAEIOUS   FACTS   ON   BREATHING       27 

rooms,  mixing  with  outdoor  air,  that  its  purity, 
cleanness  may  be  constant.  Breathed  air  left 
in  rooms  is  deadly.  Thorough  airing  often  of 
rooms  lived  in  is  necessary  for  health  results. 

The  University  of  Illinois  recently  made 
497,000  experiments  during  calm  weather,  when 
the  air  was  moving  not  at  all,  or  slowly.  These 
experiments  showed  that  during  the  calm 
period  three  times  as  many  children  as  usual 
were  absent  from  school  on  account  of  illness, 
much  beyond  the  illnesses  during  wet  and 
windy  weather;  criminals  and  others  in  the 
State  institutions  were  much  more  easily  man- 
aged, being  more  languid;  more  policemen 
were  laid  off  on  account  of  sickness ;  bank  and 
other  clerks  made  more  errors;  more  deaths 
occurred. 

The  writer  has  experienced  the  ill  effect  of 
breathed  air  and  has  seen  it  on  those  residing 
in  the  homes  where  he  has  called.  In  a  certain 
case  during  warm  summer  weather  in  rich 
apartments,  only  one  window  was  opened,  about 
four  inches.  The  resident  believed  in  deep 
breathing  and  good  air,  but  feared  that  the  dust 


28     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

from  the  street,  the  floating  bacteria,  and  the 
various  gases  would  get  into  the  house.  This 
person  complained  of  troublesome  perspiration 
while  in  the  house.  All  kinds  of  unhealthy  com- 
plications in  the  body's  functions  may  come 
from  dirty  air,  though  the  furniture  be  clean. 

Shivering  usually  is  considered  a  dangerous 
symptom.  It  is  an  instinctive  way  of  prevent- 
ing a  more  dangerous  condition,  causing 
warmth  by  uniting  carbon  and  oxygen  in  the 
tissues,  generating  carbon  dioxide,  as  the  burn- 
ing candle,  oil,  coal  do.  Consciously  working 
the  muscles  of  the  body  will  generate  more 
warmth. 

The  horse  shivers  much  while  standing  dur- 
ing cold  weather,  thus  building  internal  fires. 
Breathing  exercises  and  strengthens  the  lungs ; 
especially  is  this  so  in  higher  altitudes,  as  in 
parts  of  Colorado.  Weak  lungs  are  strength- 
ened there  by  the  deeper  breathing  enforced 
instinctively  on  account  of  the  rare  atmosphere. 
A  deeper  breath  is  necessary  to  get  as  much 
oxygen  as  in  regions  nearer  sea-level,  where 
the  air  is  denser.    If  the  lungs  are  not  too  weak 


VARIOUS   FACTS   ON   BREATHING        29 

before  going  to  such  high  and  dry  levels,  they 
rapidly  strengthen,  consumption  disappears, 
for  adequate  oxygen  is  bacteriacidal. 

Sleeping  in  the  open  cold  air  is  excellent, 
but  if  the  room  slept  in  has  excellent  circula- 
tion and  the  right  temperature,  one  is  uncon- 
sciously led  to  breathe  adequately  even  there. 

Inventions  and  discoveries  are  preparing  for 
the  race  a  pure  atmosphere.  The  poisonous 
products  of  burning  oil,  coal,  candles,  gas,  wood 
are  becoming  and  will  become  less  and  less 
prevalent  as  the  non-oxidizing  electric  light, 
power,  and  heat  are  more  and  more  used,  being 
produced  by  electric  force  generated  by  chem- 
ical processes,  rivers,  tide  motion,  waterfalls, 
sun  power,  windmills,  —  the  using  of  which 
forms  no  carbon  dioxide  or  other  deleterious 
gases. 

Cooks  do  not  eat  as  much  as  they  otherwise 
would,  as  nutritious  steams  and  vapors  aris- 
ing in  the  cook-room  enter  the  blood  directly 
by  the  pores. 

Air  is  proved  to  have  in  it  refined  and  equiv- 
alent essences  of  all  vegetable  life  and  prod- 


30     HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF- CONTROL 

ucts,  and  in  the  "  sweet  by  and  by  "  one  will 
live  more  and  more  by  breathing. 

There  is  a  constituent  in  tobacco,  tea,  coffee, 
chloral  that  does  at  least  two  harmful  things 
to  man  when  taken  into  his  system.  It  pre- 
occupies the  red  corpuscles  in  the  blood,  thus 
preventing  oxygen  getting  into  the  blood,  no 
matter  how  much  one  might  use  his  lungs,  and 
the  presence  of  this  product  leads  reflexly  to 
less  lung  activity.  The  capillaries  and  arteri- 
oles by  it  are  contracted  throughout  the  body, 
except  in  the  heart  and  brain.  Circulation  is 
interrupted  and  devitalizing  effects  will  follow. 

There  may  be  some  food  elements  in  these 
articles,  but  their  bad  effects  exceed  their  good 
ones.  There  is  a  certain  household  where  smok- 
ing used  to  be  the  rule,  especially  in  the  library 
or  sitting-room.  The  wife,  husband,  children, 
dog  suffered  lack  of  health  in  many  ways.  A 
reform  took  place  in  the  ever-present  smoker, 
and  all  improved  in  health.  Those  who  simply 
breathe  in  the  smoke  may  fare  worse  than  the 
smoker. 

Bath  water,  after  an  inveterate  smoker  had 


VARIOUS   FACTS   ON  BREATHING       31 

bathed  in  it,  quickly  caused  the  death  of  a  fly 
gently  put  near  the  water's  surface.  Bath 
water  used  by  the  same  person  after  a  non- 
smoking period  had  no  such  effect. 

Red  blood  corpuscles  examined  before  smok- 
ing and  right  after  it  show  great  disturbance, 
change  in  shape,  arrangement,  size,  which  is 
due  to  the  effect  of  nicotine.  One  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  men  during  four  years  at  Yale 
College  showed  these  results:  The  non-users 
of  tobacco  gained  over  the  users  of  tobacco 
in  weight,  32  per  cent.;  in  height,  29%  per 
cent.;  in  chest  girth,  19  per  cent.;  in  lung 
capacity,  66  per  cent. 

For  floating,  prevention  of  drowning,  deep 
breathing  accomplishes  wonders.  Inflating  the 
lungs  to  the  fullest,  then  using  shallow  breath- 
ing just  enough  to  keep  well  alive,  the  body 
will  float  easily. 

Calisthenic  exercises,  as  practised  in  many 
schools,  injure  health  by  preventing  breathing 
while  the  exercises  are  going  on.  Carbon  diox- 
ide collects  in  the  blood  and  much  harm  follows, 
e.g.  headache.     If  angular,  jerky  movements 


32     HEALTH    THEOUGH  SELF  -  CONTKOL 

were  excluded,  and  harmonious,  flowing  mo- 
tions were  substituted,  the  breathing  would  go 
on  during  the  exercises.  Short,  angular,  jerky 
movements  prevent  breathing  until  the  end  of 
the  exercise,  harmonious,  flowing  motions  in- 
duce it  during  the  exercise. 

To  take  "  breathing  exercises  "  after  the 
physical  exercises  are  ended  is  well,  but  it  does 
not  make  up  for  the  loss.  Breathing  should 
accompany  the  exercises  just  as  it  should  ac- 
company all  activity  or  even  non-activity. 
Some  of  the  angular  exercises  that  prevent 
breathing  develop  the  fighting  instinct.  The 
carbon  dioxide  collected  in  the  blood,  with  the 
breathing  in  of  any  impure  air  in  the  school- 
room, tends  to  develop  bacteria  and  disease. 

Mouth  breathing,  i.  e.  inhaling  through  the 
mouth,  can  change  its  shape;  is  very  harmful 
to  the  pharynx,  nasal  structures,  and  adjacent 
tissues.  The  nose  is  a  sieve.  The  nostrils, 
nares,  in  good  condition  will  prepare  the  air 
going  to  the  lungs  by  adjusting  its  tempera- 
ture to  them,  preventing  the  dust  particles  and 
other  harmful  bodies  as  bacteria  inhaled  from 


VAEIOUS   FACTS    ON    BEEATHING        33 

getting  into  the  lungs  and  blood  circulation. 
The  nasal  structures  secrete  and  excrete  about 
a  quart  of  fluid  in  twenty-four  hours  for  puri- 
fying and  saturating  the  air  on  its  way  through 
them  to  the  delicate  parts  beyond.  The  inter- 
nal erectile  tissues  on  the  turbinated  bones, 
if  healthy,  prevent  entrance  or  further  passage 
of  dangerous  intruders,  swelling  the  passages 
full,  even  shutting  out  harmful  gases.  The 
resonance  of  the  voice  is  much  affected  by  the 
internal  cavities.  To  keep  all  these  nasal  parts 
in  health,  one  should  invariably  inhale  through 
the  nose.  Exhaling  occasionally  through  the 
mouth,  purifies  it,  but  even  the  exhaling  as  a 
rule  should  be  through  the  nose,  which  cleanses 
it  and  tends  to  remove  any  lodgments  from  the 
air  inhaled.  The  sieve  must  be  worked,  used 
both  ways. 

Adenoid  growths,  catarrh,  deafness,  Eusta- 
chian tube  disorders,  earache,  inattention,  loss 
of  will  power  may  be  induced  by  mouth  breath- 
ing. 

In  a  European  army  recently,  smallpox  broke 
out.    The  statistics  showed  that  mouth  breath- 


34     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

ers  and  non-mouth  breathers  contracted  the 
disease,  but  that  all  the  deaths  were  those  of 
the  mouth  breathers.  One  can  cure  mouth 
breathing.  Let  him  suggest  to  himself  before 
going  to  sleep  how  easy  it  is  and  how  delight- 
ful to  breathe  with  the  mouth  closed.  Think 
it;  do  it.  One  may  also  cure  it  by  learning 
during  the  day  or  just  before  going  to  sleep 
to  breathe  in  and  out  through  the  nose  with 
the  mouth  open,  then  the  mouth  will  soon  close 
in  sleep,  being  put  out  of  business.  Vitalizing 
with  good  breathing  before  going  to  sleep  as- 
sists much. 

But  nearly  everybody  is  a  mouth  breather  in 
the  daytime,  that  is,  at  the  pauses  in  reading, 
singing,  reciting,  conversation,  he  takes  in  air 
through  the  mouth  instead  of  the  nose.  These 
littles  amount  to  much  during  the  day.  Dry 
mouth,  hoarseness  may  be  caused  thus.  Learn 
to  breathe  in  through  the  nose  at  all  pauses. 
It  is  easily  learned  if  one  makes  a  business  of 
it  for  a  few  days  or  weeks. 

It  is  healthful  always  to  fill  the  lungs  before 
beginning  to  speak,  read,  or  sing,  and  to  keep 


VARIOUS    FACTS   ON   BREATHING        35 

the  lungs  as  full  as  possible  while  talking  by 
using  every  pause  for  "  filling  in."  The  talk- 
ing breath  is  not  rhythmic,  silent  breathing  is. 
To  exhaust  the  breath  while  talking,  singing, 
reading,  is  to  induce  mouth  breathing,  a  hurry 
to  fill  the  exhausted  lungs  comes  to  one,  and 
the  mouth  will  take  in  the  air.  Poise  keeps  the 
lungs  loaded  while  using  them  for  speech. 
Keep  the  chest  well  up  and  plenty  of  air  in  it 
for  the  work  of  talking. 

If  men  breathe  one-half  enough  oxygen, 
women  breathe  about  one-fourth  enough,  some 
investigators  tell  us.  Man  by  effort  can 
breathe  250  cubic  inches,  women  about  150  cubic 
inches.  The  quiet,  subconscious  breathing  is 
not  more  than  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  cubic 
inches. 

Children,  regardless  of  sex,  are  equal  breath- 
ers. Fashion,  constriction  at  the  waist,  con- 
ventionality, inactivity,  fear,  come  to  the  girl 
sooner  or  later  and  reduce  her  capacity  for 
breathing.  Even  a  tight-fitting  dress  reduces 
the  breathing  one-third. 

There  are  those  who  say  that  even  if  con- 


36     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

striction  at  the  waist  and  other  pressure 
against  free  breathing  are  anti-health,  they 
would  rather  be  trim  and  in  style  without  health 
than  natural  with  health,  —  a  false  standard  of 
beauty.  This  is  not  the  beauty  of  holiness, 
wholeness. 

An  instinct,  in  the  past  especially,  still  much 
in  force  in  woman,  of  fear  of  non-support,  fear 
of  parent,  of  brother,  of  husband,  represses 
breathing.  This  in  some  may  be  still  a  very 
conscious  cause  of  diminished  oxygen.  Lib- 
erty, freedom  in  these  directions  is  surely  lead- 
ing to  more  adequate  breathing. 

The  Chinese  are  wiser  than  we  are  when 
they  restrict  the  growth  of  the  feet,  while  we 
restrict  the  growth  and  freedom  of  lungs.  They 
send  pure  blood  to  the  feet,  but  only  a  small 
quantity,  we  send  impure  blood  all  over  the 
body. 

In  spite  of  smaller  breathing,  woman  aver- 
ages longer  life  than  man,  as  instanced  in  some 
insurance  companies  paying  a  smaller  annuity 
to  woman  than  to  man,  as  the  woman  is  ex- 
pected to  live  more  years  to  draw  the  annuity. 


VARIOUS   FACTS   ON   BREATHING        37 

Man  has  and  has  had  more  vices  and  evil  temp- 
tations than  woman  to  shorten  his  life.  Per- 
haps the  open  door  to  woman  into  a  freer  life 
and  pursuit  may  lead  her  into  more  weakening 
pleasures,  and  thus  reduce  her  average  life. 

It  is  very  unhealthful  to  live  in  hot,  dry 
rooms  where  much  carbon  dioxide  is,  and  al- 
most fatally  bad  to  go  from  such  rooms  sud- 
denly out  into  the  cold,  crisp  air.  One  should 
treat  his  lungs  at  least  as  well  as  he  treats  his 
oil-lamp  chimney.  Such  treatment  would  des- 
troy his  chimney.  The  air  in  a  room  is  easily 
vitiated.  One  sperm  candle  burning  generates 
as  much  carbon  dioxide  and  consumes  as  much 
oxygen  as  a  man.  An  Argand  burner  vitiates 
the  air  as  much  as  twenty-three  men  do.  The 
electric  light,  in  vacuum  lamps,  is  not  at  all, 
or  it  is  the  least  possible,  vitiating. 

It  is  not  wise,  when  in  health,  to  sit  in  rooms 
whose  temperature  is  above  sixty-five  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  The  body  should  be  able  in  such 
air  to  keep  its  temperature  high  enough.  The 
body  must  not  be  pampered.  It  must  be  vitally 
active.    Better  be  too  cold  than  too  hot,  good 


38     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

authority  says.  It  is  not  wise  to  wear  glasses 
that  relieve  the  eyes  too  much.  No  organ 
should  be  assisted  to  what  it  can  itself  do.  The 
Germans  thrive  in  rooms  temperatured  at 
sixty-five  degrees. 

Our  hospitals  should  supply  more  pure  air 
to  their  occupants.  Our  factories  and  stores 
are  very  deficient  in  this  direction.  More  work 
and  better  work  would  be  done  in  the  same 
time,  with  a  full  supply  of  fresh  air,  and  there 
would  be  no,  or  less  fatigue.  These  good  results 
would  be  realized  much  more  effectually  in  the 
mines  if  each  miner  could  be  furnished  seven 
thousand  cubic  feet  of  pure  air  per  hour. 
Under  the  very  best  mine  conditions,  three 
thousand  cubic  feet  per  person  are  needed. 

One  part  of  carbon  dioxide  in  one  thousand 
parts  of  common  air,  which  is  composed  chiefly 
of  eighty  parts  of  nitrogen  and  twenty  of  oxy- 
gen, is  endurable.  Eeduce  the  twenty  parts  of 
oxygen  to  seventeen  and  death  may  ensue. 

No  attempt  is  here  made  to  give  directions 
for  physical  exercises  with  breathing,  as  it  is 
so   much   wiser   to    learn   personally   from   a 


VAKIOUS    FACTS    ON   BREATHING        39 

teacher.  The  following  are  merely  a  few 
health  hints.  Physical  culture  includes  mental 
culture.  Physical  and  mental  poise  cannot  be 
separately  taught.  In  all  positions  of  the  body, 
let  the  chest  be  kept  well  up  and  free.  Eelax, 
but  do  not  "  slump."  Sit  well  back  in  the 
chair,  leaning  forward  a  little,  resting  on  the 
whole  spine  and  ribs,  chest  well  up.  This  fa- 
vors breathing.  Sitting  freely  in  a  chair  low 
enough  not  to  press  against  the  thigh  muscles, 
with  legs  never  crossed,  feet  flat  on  the  floor, 
hands  not  clasped,  assists  circulation,  includ- 
ing the  heart,  as  thus  the  pressure  on  veins  and 
arteries  is  decreased.  Whistling  and  blowing 
soap-bubbles  arouse  lung  use. 

Breathe  consciously  during  all  waking  hours, 
deeply,  a  little  at  a  time  and  often,  without 
any  set  plan.  To  run  with  least  exhaustion 
and  to  go  up-stairs  most  easily,  regulate  your 
breathing.  Breathe  more  than  usual  at  these 
times,  in  a  cheerful,  poised  way.  Begulate 
your  lungs  and  you  control  the  heart's  rhythm. 
Short,  quick  breathing  excites  the  heart; 
poised,  deeper  breathing  calms  it.    All  physical 


40     HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

exercises,  as  such,  should  be  taken  in  rhythm 
with  the  breathing. 

Learn  to  relax  as  a  habit.  Eelax  does  not 
mean  to  "  feel  lazy." 

Every  muscle,  all  the  tissues  in  the  body,, 
should  be  brought  into  action  every  day,  to 
assist  the  circulation  of  the  blood  and  lymph, 
to  help  every  organ  in  its  secreting  work,  to 
give  elasticity,  agility,  strength  to  all  parts. 
If  the  natural  daily  activities  are  not  sufficient 
for  these  purposes,  then  select  certain  adapt- 
ive physical  exercises  to  be  taken  in  rhythm 
with  the  most  cheerfully  relaxated  but  deepest 
breathing,  in  as  light  and  loose  clothing  as  pos- 
sible ;  mornings  on  rising  and  evenings  before 
retiring  are  the  best  time,  if  convenient.  The 
mind  must  be  consciously  on  the  breathing,  or 
some  part  you  wish  to  improve.  Never  tire 
yourselves  in  these  exercises.  Eeplete,  not  de- 
plete yourself.  Better  underdo  than  overdo. 
Better  still  to  do  neither.  Agedness  can  be 
free  from  decrepitude  if  one  will  enjoy  every 
day  appropriate  bodily  activities  in  the  spirit 
indicated. 


VARIOUS   FACTS   ON  BREATHING       41 

"  Tune  up  the  fine  strong  instrument  of  thy  being 
To  chord  with  thy  high  hope  and  do  not  tire ; 
When  both  in  key  and  rhythm  are  agreeing, 
Lo  !   thou  shalt  kiss  the  lips  of  thy  desire." 

—  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  SYMPATHETIC  AND  THE  CEREBR0  -  SPINAL 
NERVE  SYSTEM  —  THE  SUBCONSCIOUS  AND  CON- 
SCIOUS MIND  —  HOW  THE  MIND  BUILDS  THE 
BODY  HEALTHFULLY 

There  are  ten  million  nerves  in  a  human 
body.  Nerves  require  five  times  as  much  oxy- 
gen as  any  other  tissue  for  their  building  and 
nourishment. 

The  irritability,  sensitiveness,  of  a  nerve 
cannot  long  continue  without  oxygen.  A  nerve 
removed  from  the  body  is  found  to  remain 
sensitive  longer  in  oxygen  than  in  air,  and  in 
air  than  in  an  atmosphere  containing  no  oxy- 
gen. 

An  ideal  nerve  system  has  three  requisites: 
a  brain  or  a  receiving  and  distributing  centre ; 
conductors  to  and  from  the  brain;  parts 
reached  by  the  conductors  which  connect  them 

42 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  43 

with  the  brain.  In  general,  brain,  nerve, 
muscle. 

It  would  be  wise  for  the  reader  to  study  Dr. 
Byron  Bobinson's  "  Abdominal  Brain  "  before 
finishing  this  chapter,  if  his  faith  is  shocked. 

There  are,  in  quite  a  differentiated  way,  two 
nerve  systems.  The  sympathetic  nerve  system 
has  for  its  centre  or  regulating  brain  the  epi- 
gastric plexus,  or  the  solar  plexus,  or  the  ab- 
dominal brain,  three  names  for  one  centre. 
Abdominal  brain  is  the  most  appropriate  name, 
but  solar  plexus  is  the  name  more  commonly 
used. 

This  brain  is  situated  in  front  of  the  back- 
bone on  the  abdominal  aorta,  just  below  the 
diaphragm  and  around  the  caeliac  axis  or  ar- 
tery going  to  the  stomach,  where  it  emerges 
from  the  abdominal  aorta.  This  brain  is  com- 
posed of  gray  matter,  with  incoming  and  out- 
going nerves.  It  has  a  length  of  one  and  a 
half  inches,  a  width  of  one  inch.  From  this 
centre  radiate  to  all  the  organs  and  parts  of 
the  body,  nerves,  sensory  and  motor  doubtless, 
which  develop  plexuses  in  the  various  organs, 


44     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

and  ganglia  or  enlarged  places  of  nerve  mate- 
rial, relays,  small  brains  in  different  regions, 
as  on  either  side  of  the  backbone  near  the  exits 
and  entrances  of  the  spinal  nerves.  This  nerve 
system  is  used  to  bring  about  all  the  life  proc- 
esses of  the  body. 

The  subjective,  subconscious,  or  subliminal 
mind  builds  this  nerve  system  out  of  blood,  as 
a  staging-work  for  building  the  body.  Before 
birth  the  mind  that  builds  the  body  is  almost 
solely  subconscious.  It  acts  from  the  solar 
plexus,  especially  by  means  of  the  sympathetic 
nerve  system,  performing  all  the  laboratory, 
chemical,  and  electric  work  of  the  body,  such 
as  digestion,  assimilation,  circulation,  secretion, 
excretion,  elimination.  It  works  one  hundred 
per  cent,  of  the  time;  it  never  strikes  except 
in  case  of  death.  It  built  us  before  birth,  builds 
us  now. 

The  cerebro-spinal  nerve  system  has  for  its 
centre  the  cranial  brain.  Some  of  its  parts  are 
the  cerebrum,  cerebellum,  medulla  oblongata, 
spinal  cord,  nerves,  sensory  and  motor.  Twelve 
pairs  of  nerves  pass  from  the  brain  through 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  45 

the  cranium  to  the  eyes,  ears,  nose,  face,  mouth, 
tongue,  and  other  parts.  Thirty-one  pairs  pass 
from  the  spinal  canal  and  are  distributed  in 
their  branchings  to  the  skin,  muscles,  and  other 
parts  of  the  body.  It  is  said  that  nerves  pass 
from  the  brain,  spinal  canal,  solar  plexus,  but 
it  is  equally  true  that  as  many  nerves  pass  into 
these  centres. 

The  objective,  conscious,  or  supraliminal 
mind,  or  the  mind  acting  objectively,  con- 
sciously, brings  about  especially  locomotion, 
muscle  movement,  observation  through  the  five 
senses,  reason  or  understanding,  by  using,  in 
a  way,  chiefly  the  cerebro-spinal  nerve  system. 
The  mind  begins  in  earnest  after  birth  to  act 
objectively  on  objects,  consciously  to  produce 
locomotion,  reason.  It  does  not  busy  itself 
directly  with  the  chemical  laboratory  processes 
of  the  body.  It  does  not  act  all  the  time;  it 
may  cease  its  conscious  work  even  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  time,  and  that,  too,  while  one  is 
his  average  self.  In  sound  sleep,  it  lulls  to  zero 
action.     In  conscious  states  the  mind  really 


46     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

thinks  in  spots,  in  points,  as  one  experiences 
who  observes  his  mental  processes. 

The  mind,  conscious  and  subconscious,  in 
its  way  builds  the  body,  and  in  its  activities 
it  unfolds  itself  into  poise  or  non-poise,  into 
spirituality  or  non-spirituality.  Threefold  de- 
velopment of  health  is  physical,  mental,  spiri- 
tual. The  spiritual  health  is  the  refined,  bal- 
anced, poised,  peaceful,  good-willed  develop- 
ment of  the  mind  in  a  corresponding  body. 

Mind  may  not  be  double,  two,  certainly  not 
so  out  of  the  body.  Let  it  be  called  mind,  more 
mind,  less  mind.  The  present  unification  of 
mind  may  have  evolved  from  warring  colonial 
conditions,  but  now  at  least  a  mental  president 
has  appeared  that  can  consciously  lead. 

These  two  nerve  systems  are  quite  well  dif- 
ferentiated, yet  they  are  united,  and  act,  react, 
and  interact  on  each  other.  The  two  systems 
have  union  in  the  ganglia  on  either  side  of  the 
spinal  column,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
body.  The  nerve-tips  of  one  system  approach 
those  of  the  other,  and  back  and  forth  go  elec- 
tric discharges,  equalization,  balance,  poise,  or 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  47 

the  reverse  of  these  conditions.  Two  minds, 
one  mind;  two  nerve  systems,  one  nerve  sys- 
tem. The  nerve  systems  are  physically  quite 
different.  The  cerebro-spinal  nerves  are 
sheathed,  the  sympathetic  are  sheathless.  The 
most  recent  investigation  is  without  doubt 
proving  this.  When  a  person  shivers  from 
cold,  his  subjective  mind  starts  food  and  oxy- 
gen fires.  The  cerebro-spinal  nerves  may  be 
set  in  motion.  The  conscious  mind  may  try  to 
prevent  this  shaking,  usually  without  success. 
When  one  concludes  to  warm  his  body  by 
threshing  his  arms  about  his  chest,  he  is  under 
the  action  of  mind  risen  to  consciousness. 
One  may  say  that  reflex  action,  by  means  of 
regulating  nerve-centres,  brings  about  the 
shiver,  but  that  does  not  explain.  Behind  the 
reflex  act  is  the  subjective  mind,  habit  or  in- 
stinct. 

The  writer  once  copied  a  number  of  items 
for  publication.  The  printer  sent  him  a  proof- 
sheet.  It  was  corrected,  approved,  and  re- 
turned. On  arising  the  next  morning,  the  mes- 
sage suddenly  came  into  the  conscious  mind 


48     HEALTH  THEOUGH   SELF  -  CONTKOL 

from  the  subconscious  that  the  printer  had  left 
out  item  number  eight.  Immediate  communi- 
cation with  him  proved  this  message  to  be  true, 
and  copies  were  about  to  be  made  without  the 
number  eight  item. 

In  originally  arranging  these  items  for  the 
printer,  the  subconscious  mind  had  received 
thorough  impressions  of  all  the  items.  The 
mind  consciously  looked  rapidly  over  the  work 
and  detected  no  omission.  The  subconscious 
was  faithful  and  reported  the  discrepancy. 

As  no  authoritative  line  of  demarcation  can 
be  definitely  drawn  between  conscious  and  sub- 
conscious mind-work,  no  particularizing  is  here 
attempted.  The  subconscious  does  receive  de- 
cisions, add,  subtract,  multiply,  divide,  but  pos- 
sibly it  does  no  primarily  original  work  while 
functioning  in  the  body  during  this  life. 

A  nerve  system  is  necessary  to  the  chemical 
and  electrical  building  work  in  a  body.  In  the 
simplest  forms  of  animal  life,  all  paths,  ' '  wire- 
less "  tissues,  may  do  the  life-work,  but  not 
so,  at  least,  in  human  beings.  Babes  are  some- 
times   born    without    a    cerebro-spinal    nerve 


THE   NEKVE   SYSTEM  49 

system.  They  do  not  live,  could  never  stand 
up,  or  observe  with  the  five  senses ;  no  objective, 
conscious  mind  could  arise.  Babes  are  never 
born  without  the  sympathetic  nerve  system  well 
developed.  Therefore  the  cerebro-spinal  nerve 
system  does  not  act  as  a  body-building  frame- 
work. There  is  not  a  third  nerve  system,  hence 
the  sympathetic  nerve  system,  the  vaso-motor 
nerve  system,  is  the  system  used  for  life-work 
in  the  body. 

Life,  mental  and  physical,  is  initial  in  the 
abdominal  brain,  the  solar  plexus.  Two  germ- 
cells,  one  from  the  mother,  one  from  the  father, 
unite  into  one  cell,  the  two  nuclei  becoming  one. 
This  union  cell  becomes  by  fission  and  division, 
two  cells;  these  two  become  four;  these  four 
eight,  and  so  on  until  all  the  organs  are  formed 
and  the  body  is  complete.  This  takes  place 
just  as  rapidly  as  the  subjective  mind  builds 
out  its  sympathetic  nerve-staging  with  the 
mother's  blood,  filling  in  all  the  structures. 
The  subjective  mind  here  builds  as  well  as  its 
condition  allows  it  to  do,  it  being  the  sum  total 
of  heredity  and  instinct  from  the  past,  includ- 


50     HEALTH   THROUGH  SELF -CONTROL 

ing  the  parent's  influence.  Reincarnation,  if  it 
is  a  fact,  does  not  interfere  with  this  reason- 
ing. Mind  builds  a  body.  One  vibration 
clothes  itself  in  another  vibration,  it  presses 
itself  out,  expresses  itself,  phenomenizes. 

"  For  of  the  soul  the  body  form  doth  take, 
For  soul  is  form  and  doth  the  body  make." 

—  Spenser. 

Some  one  replies  that  the  "  backbone 
groove  "  forms  first  in  the  egg,  therefore  life 
is  not  initial  at  the  solar  plexus.  The  life-work 
going  on  at  the  solar  plexus  cannot  be  seen 
by  the  observer,  and  the  first  result  seen  is  the 
"  groove  "  caused  by  the  sympathetic  nerves' 
work,  e.  g.  the  splanchnics.  To  attempt  to  see 
this  initial  work  would  be  to  destroy  it,  as  it 
is  within,  not  on  the  surface. 

If  a  person  will  balance  himself  on  a  "  mus- 
cle bed, ' '  which  is  a  delicately  balanced  wooden 
bed,  then  inhale  and  exhale  more  thoroughly, 
or  vary  his  breathing,  he  can  cause  his  body 
to  seesaw.  Working  the  feet  would  draw  blood 
to  them  and  cause  the  "  muscle  bed  "  to  sink, 
go  down  at  the  foot  end.    To  say  or  think  a 


THE  NEKVE   SYSTEM  51 

line  of  the  multiplication  table  would  cause  the 
head  end  of  the  ' '  muscle  bed  ' '  to  go  down,  suf- 
ficient blood  being  drawn  to  the  brain  by  think- 
ing, alone,  to  change  the  centre  of  gravity  of 
the  body.  Blood  flows  to  a  used  part,  or  to 
a  part  one  thinks  to  use,  or  that  he  thinks  on. 
The  reason  for  this  latter  statement's  truth 
is  largely  or  perhaps  entirely  evolutional,  in- 
stinctive. For  millions  of  years  in  the  evoluted 
race  the  thought  to  move  or  use  any  part  of  the 
body  has  been  followed  by  its  use,  which  drew 
blood  to  the  part  to  enable  it  to  be  better  used. 
From  the  law  of  the  association  of  two  or  more 
things  together,  or  one  following  the  other,  and 
if  the  first  part  happens,  the  last  tends  to  hap- 
pen whether  the  second  part  is  performed  or 
not,  —  thinking  about  the  feet,  as  though  to 
move,  and  yet  not  moving  them,  causes  more 
blood  to  flow  to  them.  This  is  one  reason  why 
dwelling  on  a  part  of  the  body  that  is  troubling 
one  increases  the  trouble,  especially  if  an  extra 
flow  of  blood  would  cause  congestion.  To  think 
on  a  weak  heart,  even  cheerfully,  might  stop 


52     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

its  action.    No  emotional  cause  is  yet  consid- 
ered in  these  statements. 

One  sees  how  cold  feet  can  be  warmed  by 
making  them  active,  which  would  also  relieve 
the  head  of  some  blood  and  thus  induce  sleep 
and  drive  away  headache  as  well.  Peacefully 
working  any  part  of  the  body,  even  the  neck, 
will  bring  sleep.  Now  if  one,  balanced  on  the 
muscle  bed,  in  a  calm  state  of  mind,  becomes 
frightened,  the  muscle  bed  will  tip  down  at  the 
head  end.  The  body's  centre  of  gravity  is 
changed  to  a  point  nearer  the  head  by  more 
blood  flowing  into  that  region  of  the  body.  The 
effect  of  the  fright  on  the  mind,  objectively  if 
awake,  then  subjectively,  so  affects  the  solar 
plexus  that  the  sympathetic  nerves  (vaso-motor 
nerve  system)  in  the  coatings  of  all  the  blood- 
vessels constrict,  make  smaller  the  calibre  of 
all  the  blood  capillaries  and  arterioles,  except 
those  in  the  heart  and  brain,  which  dilate,  thus 
driving  much  blood  toward  and  into  the  heart 
and  brain,  leaving  other  parts  of  the  body  with 
an  insufficient  supply.  This  brings  about  non- 
equable  circulation  of  the  blood  throughout  the 


THE   NEEVE  SYSTEM  53 

body,  some  parts  having  too  much,  some  parts 
too  little,  but  the  strength  of  the  body  depends 
directly  upon  the  circulation  of  the  blood  every- 
where adequately.  Some  tissues  are  surfeited, 
congested,  some  are  starved.  The  pressing 
effect  on  the  heart,  in  the  heart,  in  the  brain, 
lead  to  dangerous  results.  Heart  failure,  apo- 
plexy, general  paralysis  would  be  natural  re- 
sults. The  two  thousand  miles  of  blood  circu- 
latory tubing  are  played  upon  in  a  very  un- 
healthful  way.  Ee suits  vary  as  the  emotion  is 
more  or  less  intense.  It  might  happen  that 
intense  fright  would  paralyze  the  nerves,  and 
contraction  or  dilation  of  the  blood-vessels 
might  occur. 

Becoming  peaceful  again,  the  subjective 
mind  brings  back  normal  circulation  through 
the  sympathetic  nerves'  regulating  the  size  of 
the  blood-vessels.  Fright  induces  cold  feet, 
cold  external  and  cold  distal  parts  from  brain 
and  heart,  insomnia,  a  muddled  brain;  peace 
induces  warm  feet,  warm  external  parts,  sleep, 
clear  head.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  to  think  on 
insomnia,  brings  it,  increases  it. 


54     HEALTH  THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Now  combine  use  of  feet  and  peaceful 
thought  on  them,  and  a  seeming  miracle  is 
worked,  for  sleep  and  warm  feet  are  the  results. 
Peace  of  mind  draws  a  normal  amount  of  blood 
to  the  head  and  feet.  Any  part  of  the  body, 
as  the  stomach,  can  be  helped  by  thus  sending 
more  blood  to  it  to  supply  its  lack,  but,  if  one 
is  always  poised,  all  parts   are    fully    supplied. 

Medicine,  surgery,  osteopathy,  any  method 
of  treatment,  to  be  most  successful  must  act 
with  the  assistance  of  a  fearless  mind  in  the 
patient.  The  blood's  quality  and  equable  cir- 
culation are  of  the  first  importance,  and  the 
state  of  mind  controls  the  circulation  as  well 
as  the  quality  of  the  blood.  Medicine  given 
cannot  reach  the  desired  part  properly  unless 
the  blood  is  flowing  there  naturally.  Some 
physicians  with  medicine,  help  the  patient,  some 
physicians  without  medicine  cure  the  patient. 
The  trust,  fearlessness,  established  by  the  doc- 
tor in  the  patient  is  the  first  essential.  A  bread 
pill,  with  overwhelming  trust  in  the  physician's 
skill,  is  life  to  the  patient. 

A  boy  who  had  on  his  finger  a  ring  he  could 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  55 

not  pull  off  was  suddenly  frightened  by  the 
experimenter.  His  arms  were  hanging  at  his 
sides,  the  ring  fell  to  the  floor.  The  shrinking 
blood-vessels  in  the  finger  reduced  the  size,  and 
gravity  pulled  the  ring  away. 

In  fright,  as  stage  fright,  the  blood-vessels 
in  the  eye  contract,  driving  the  blood  inwardly, 
the  pupils  enlarge,  light  floods  in  as  into  an 
albino's  eyes,  and  the  person  cannot  see  indi- 
viduals in  the  audience ;  all  is  misty.  His  knees, 
his  arms,  in  fact,  his  whole  body  become  weak 
on  account  of  lack  of  blood  to  these  parts. 

Kneeling  in  prayer  came  about  originally 
from  fear  or  fright.  Becoming  conscious  of  a 
god  believed  to  be  a  tyrant  brought  about  all 
the  results  just  described  by  the  effect  through 
the  subjective  mind  acting  on  the  circulation 
in  a  disastrous  way.  To-day  when  one  kneels 
to  pray,  love  is  in  his  mind,  and  strength,  not 
weakness,  in  his  knees. 

Seals  are  captured  by  sudden  fright  caused 
by  shouts  or  gun  discharges  from  the  captors 
coming  quickly  upon  them.  They  cannot  see, 
they  cannot  move,    Children  who  seem  to  dis- 


56     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

obey  an  angry  parent  sometimes  move  not,  an- 
swer not,  from  weakness  induced  by  fright. 
The  snake  charms  the  bird.  The  charm  may  be 
inability  from  fright  to  see  and  move. 

The  mind  in  wide-awake  fright  weakens  ob- 
jectively, then  subjectively,  then  the  sympa- 
thetic nerve  system  puts  into  execution  the 
mind  state,  into  every  cell  of  the  body,  weak- 
ness for  weakness.  One  may  notice  in  a  fright 
the  troublesome  sensation  near  the  heart  or 
stomach,  viz.,  in  the  solar  plexus  or  abdominal 
brain.  He  can  be  aware  of  this  shock  going 
from  the  cranial  brain  by  way  of  the  phrenic, 
pneumogastric,  splanchnic,  and  other  sympa- 
thetic nerves  to  the  solar  plexus,  reorganizing 
there  and  spreading  throughout  the  body  by 
way  of  the  whole  sympathetic  nerve  system 
into  the  cerebro-spinal  nerve  system,  into  every 
cell.  The  whole  body,  also  as  a  mass  of  cells, 
conducts  this  mental,  chemical,  electric  wave 
or  shock. 

The  writer,  in  youth,  believed  that  Satan  as 
such,  in  visible  animal  form,  was  travelling  up 
and  down  the  earth  seeking  whom  he  might 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  57 

devour,  especially  wicked  boys.  He  believed 
he  was  a  wicked  boy,  and  expected  a  visit  at 
any  time  from  his  Satanic  Majesty.  One  after- 
noon in  the  country,  in  summer,  while  alone 
sitting  on  a  fence,  he  saw,  unknown  to  him 
then,  what  proved  to  be  a  porcupine,  approach- 
ing near  his  dangling  feet.  Satan  was  recog- 
nized by  him.  Quick  as  lightning  the  sins  of 
weeks  passed  through  his  mind,  fear  of  the  hor- 
ror of  Hades  took  hold  of  him,  —  he  fell  to  the 
ground,  tried  to  call  for  mother  a  few  rods 
away  in  the  house,  tried  to  rise  and  walk,  tried 
to  see.  It  must  have  been  minutes,  it  seemed 
hours,  before  he  regained  strength  enough  to 
reach  the  house.  This  illustrates  practically 
the  scientific  working  of  an  undesirable  emo- 
tion. 

The  reaction  of  the  body  nerve  conditions  on 
the  mind  in  such  cases  is  to  increase  the  fright 
by  action  and  reaction,  exhaustion  as  it  were 
coming  to  the  rescue. 

Experiment,  experience,  prove  that  a  ,law 
exists  between  the  emotional  states  and  the 


58     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

circulation  of  the  blood,  as  uniform  and  certain 
in  effect  as  any  law  in  chemistry. 

This  emotion  of  fright  not  only  interferes 
with  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  but  at  the 
same  time  it  interrupts  the  rhythm  and  work 
of  every  function  in  the  body,  of  every  eell,  in 
fact. 

Consider  the  lungs  especially,  as  they  have 
the  work  of  getting  into  the  blood  circulation 
two  times  as  much  oxygen  as  food  by  weight, 
digested  into  the  blood.  Fright  through  the 
subjective  mind's  action  in  the  sympathetic 
nerve  system,  regulated  from  the  solar  plexus, 
causes  the  lungs  to  expand  and  contract  much 
less,  or  to  act  irregularly,  or  to  act  in  a  hitchy 
manner,  or  to  "  hold  the  breath  out."  The 
waste  matter,  carbon  dioxide,  in  the  system 
can  very  inadequately  escape  through  the  lungs 
and  the  oxygen  cannot  get  into  the  blood  ade- 
quately, for  the  air-cells  of  the  lungs  are  not 
inflating  and  deflating  efficiently.  The  blood 
becomes  very  much  devitalized.  The  lungs, 
spleen,  stomach,  liver,  kidneys,  salivary  and 
other  glands  are  not  only  receiving  blood  in- 


THE   NERVE  SYSTEM  59 

adequately,  non-equably,  but  the  blood  is  devi- 
talized, deoxygenated,  carbon-dioxidized.  No 
organ  can  function  health  with  this  kind  of 
circulation  and  this  quality  of  blood. 

In  a  few  moments  after  the  fright  begins, 
a  poison  is  generated  in  the  tissues,  the  blood, 
a  toxin  as  harmful  as  the  ptomaine  poison  of 
the  worst  cold-storage  chicken.  It  is  discover- 
able by  chemical  experiment  in  the  breath,  per- 
spiration, blood-tissues,  urine.  Anger,  another 
negative  emotion,  leaves  a  bitter  taste  in  the 
mouth.  One  poisons  the  atmosphere  while 
frightened  or  in  anger,  and  he  thus  literally 
harms  those  who  breathe  in  the  results  of  his 
fear  or  anger.  Anger  in  the  snake  secretes  a 
poison  in  a  sac  to  be  used  against  his  enemy. 
Man  has  no  such  sac  as  the  snake  has  wherein 
to  store  the  toxin  which  he  develops  for  the 
same  purpose,  and  he  poisons  himself  more 
than  he  does  his  enemy.  Every  wrong  emotion, 
every  shade  of  it,  has  a  definite  harmful  effect 
on  the  whole  being.  The  poisons  thus  gener- 
ated have  been  extracted  and  given  to  dogs 
and  even  human  beings,  inducing  in  them  states 


{ 


60      HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF  -  CONTROL 

of  mind  and  acts  similar  to  those  of  the  per- 
sons from  whom  the  poisons  were  derived. 

These  results  are  brought  about  by  the  same 
process  of  mind  action  through  the  solar  plexus 
and  its  ramifications  to  all  parts  of  the  body 
where  the  chemist  mind  does  its  chemic  work 
just  exactly  as  it  feels;  if  it  is  in  anger,  it 
builds  angry  tissue. 

The  carbon  dioxide  is  held  in  the  system 
while  oxygen  is  coming  in  but  little  during  the 
fright,  fear,  or  anger,  this  and  the  toxin  gen- 
erated in  the  tissues  by  these  same  emotions 
cause  the  blood  to  be  reduced  in  oxygen  below 
twenty-five  per  cent.  This  condition  of  blood, 
as  stated  in  Chapter  I.,  compels  bacteria  to 
multiply  beyond  the  danger  point,  and  weak- 
ness, or  disease,  or  death  must  follow. 

The  emotion  in  a  mind  full  of  hate  is  more 
injurious  than  any  other  state  of  the  mind. 
The  toxin  generated  in  one  hour  of  hate  would, 
if  taken  into  their  systems,  kill  eighty  men. 

"  Whoso  hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer 
and  hath  no  eternal  life. ' '  He  murders  himself 
surely.      "  Who    is    my    brother?  "      Partial 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  61 

elimination  through  the  lungs,  pores,  kidneys 
saves  the  hater  from  quick  death.  One  could 
not  hate  intensely,  steadily,  for  an  hour.  Ex- 
haustion or  death  would  stop  that  mental  proc- 
ess. "  Anger  burns  itself  out  "  is  a  common 
saying. 
*  The  emotion  of  fear  also  upsets  the  balanced 
condition  of  the  body,  the  positive  and  negative 
equilibrium  of  local  and  universal  flow  of  elec- 
tric energy.  One  who  is  in  fear  is  in  a  condition 
that  resists  this  flow.  He  can  be  more  easily 
electrocuted  or  "  struck  by  lightning  "  than 
when  fearless.  Experiments  with  the  galva- 
nometer prove  this,  and  the  writer  has  had  the 
experience.  Copper  wire  is  a  good  conductor 
of  electricity ;  it  resists  the  current  very  little. 
Eesistance  would  fuse  it.  The  metal  conduc- 
tors used  for  electric  lights  resist  the  flow  and 
emit  light  by  friction  or  high  temperature. 
Oxidization  would  take  place  if  the  atmosphere 
were  admitted  to  the  conductor. 

It  is  a  proved  fact  that  the  more  negative 
one  is  in  his  habits  of  thought  and  act,  the  more 
he  resists  the  electric  current,  the  more  he  elec- 


62      HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

trocutes  himself.  One  does  not  need  to  wait 
for  his  literal  sulphur  Hades  after  the  day  of 
judgment  beyond  this  life,  for  right  now  and 
here  all  are  experiencing  it  according  to  their 
life-work. 

Sulphur  is  put  down  as  the  fifth  element  of 
the  fourteen  that  compose  the  body.  When 
one,  in  his  pessimistic  thoughts  and  acts,  elec- 
trocutes himself  by  degrees,  he  is  without  doubt 
using  chemically  sulphur  in  the  process,  oxidiz- 
ing it.  So  the  physical  fact  that  so  many  dis- 
believe in  is  within  them  now  and  will  continue 
to  be  until  a  salvation  is  worked  out,  until  the 
life  "  is  purified  as  by  fire." 

The  ninety-first  Psalm  declares  that  a 
"  thousand  shall  fall  at  his  side,  ten  thousand 
at  his  right  hand,  but  that  it  shall  not  come 
nigh  him, ' '  —  one  who  ' '  dwelleth  in  the  secret 
place  of  the  Most  High.,,  This  would  be  a 
natural  result  in  a  thunder-storm  where  the 
really  good  and  the  really  bad  were  mingled. 
The  righteous  are  good  conductors,  the  wicked 
are  bad  conductors  of  the  electric  vibration. 

Eubber    and    rubbers    are    non-conductors. 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  63 

Leather  boots  are  safer,  bare  feet  safest  in  a 
lightning-storm.  There  is  a  scientific  way  of 
clothing  ourselves  as  to  the  healthful  conduc- 
tivity of  the  electric  energy,  mentally,  phys- 
ically, and  spiritually.  When  people  say  the 
righteous  are  especially  protected  by  God,  their 
belief  has  a  scientific  foundation,  but  they  do 
not  so  explain  it. 

The  general  results,  then,  of  a  frightened 
state  of  mind  are:  Less  lung  air-cell  surface 
is  used;  less  carbon  dioxide  comes  away  from 
the  blood,  less  oxygen  goes  in;  the  circulation 
of  the  blood  is  made  non-equable,  too  much  or 
too  little,  throughout  the  body ;  toxins  are  gen- 
erated in  the  tissues,  making  the  blood  still 
more  devitalized  for  body-building;  these  with 
the  lingering  carbon  dioxide  contaminate  the 
blood  with  extremely  poison  products;  then 
the  blood  has  less  than  twenty-five  per  cent,  of 
oxygen  in  it,  thus  compelling,  by  the  law  of 
bacterial  reproduction,  a  sudden  increase  in 
bacterial  life,  in  a  very  short  time,  and  there 
takes  place  death,  decay,  and  fermentation  of 
these  animalcules  in  the  system;  then  the  elec- 


64     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

trie,  magnetic  condition  of  every  cell,  atom, 
molecule  of  the  body  is  upset,  deathward. 
These  conditions  may  be  disease,  decline,  non- 
ease,  feebleness,  death.  The  beginning,  some- 
where, of  this  result  is  a  wrong  emotional  state 
of  mind,  which  must  act  harmfully  on  all  the 
life  processes.  Bacteria  only  show  the  mental 
and  physical  condition,  they  do  not  primarily 
cause  the  disease. 

There  are  other  causes  leading  to  disease, 
for  the  universe,  the  cosmos,  each  entity  acts, 
reacts,  interacts,  each  on  the  other,  but  the  re- 
sults depend  on  how  the  mind  emotionally 
handles  all  the  vibrations  for  and  against  it, 
"  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever.' '  Thirty  de- 
grees F.  is  brisk  life  to  one,  death  to  another. 
How  the  recipient  is  able  to  react  decides  dis- 
ease or  health.  Although  the  emotional,  men- 
tal point  of  view  is  being  here  emphasized, 
causation  is  manifold,  but  "  Everything  works 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,"  his 
laws. 

A  body  in  the  condition  here  described  can- 
not be  well,  the  mind  is  not  well.     No  good 


THE   NEKVE   SYSTEM  65 

digestive  juices,  no  good  tissue-building  can 
exist.  The  weakest  spot  in  the  body,  from 
whatever  cause,  will  be  made  worse,  and  dis- 
ease there  be  seated.  Consumption  of  the  lungs 
might  be  initiated  or  renewed  or  intensified. 

The  objective  mind  was  here  at  fault  in  ad- 
mitting a  frightened  condition  into  its  states 
of  consciousness.  The  subjective  mind  fol- 
lowed the  lead  and  worked  or  vibrated  all  the 
evil  effects  into  the  body  tissues.  All  wrong 
instincts  and  past  bad  habits  make  it  all  the 
more  easy  for  the  subjective  mind  to  go  to 
pieces  and  do  worse  work.  All  negative,  pessi- 
mistic, wrong  emotions,  as  hurry,  worry,  impa- 
tience, dread,  faultfinding,  despondency,  jeal- 
ousy, regret,  remorse,  mourning,  impurity,  and 
many  more  children  of  the  same  family,  act  in 
a  similar  manner  as  fear,  anger,  and  fright  act, 
as  described,  producing  similar  results  in  pro- 
portion to  the  negativity  of  the  emotion. 

These  causes  and  effects  constitute  a  law  as 
fixed  and  uniform  as  the  law  of  gravitation. 
This  nerve  condition  of  the  body,  reported  to 
the  mind,  reacts  on  it,  weakens  it  still  more; 


66     HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

and  action  and  reaction  make  recovery  more 
difficult. 

The  soul  vibration  expresses  a  poor  vibra- 
tion, and  the  built  vibration  reacts  badly  on 
the  builder.  It  is  something  like  a  person's 
being  ashamed  of  his  work.  This  sad  body- 
building and  its  reaction  often  drives  one  to 
suicide. 

One  seldom  consults  a  physician  until  his 
disturbing  stomach,  or  liver,  or  lungs,  or  some 
organ  drives  him  to  it.  The  illness  of  the  mind 
may  go  on  a  long  time  before  the  reaction  from 
the  body  is  sufficiently  severe  to  arouse  the 
person  to  try  to  get  relief  from  his  physical 
suffering.     This  suggests: 

"  Though  the  mills  of  God  grind  slowly,  yet  they  grind  ex- 
ceeding small ; 

Though  with  patience  he  stands  waiting,  with  exactness 
grinds  he  all." 

If  a  person  were  frightened  by  an  automo- 
bile coming  speedily  toward  him,  the  fright 
causing  him  to  be  confused  in  sight  and  weak- 
ened in  muscle  would  prevent  escape  from  ac- 
cident.   It  is  said  that  "  fear  catches  disease.' ' 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  67 

Change  "  catches  "  to  "  produces  "  and  it  is 
a  scientific  statement.  "  The  thing  I  greatly 
feared  has  come  upon  me."  "  Prophecy  fulfils 
itself." 

When  the  solar  plexus  receives  a  negative 
emotional  shock,  as  in  a  sudden  scare,  the  re- 
sults go  in  all  directions  through  the  sympa- 
thetic nerve  system.  Sometimes  the  least  re- 
sistance is  toward  the  stomach  plexus,  some- 
times to  the  heart  or  other  organs.  One  often 
hears,  "  She  died  of  broken  heart."  This  can 
be  true  of  any  organ.  It  can  be  death  from  a 
sudden  shock  or  from  many  and  oft  repeated 
shocks,  and  perhaps  little  ones.  A  sudden 
shock  occurs,  as  in  the  case  of  Ananias,  whose 
remorse  was  so  keen  that  the  rhythm  and  blood 
circulation  of  his  heart  were  broken  or  stopped 
almost  instantly. 

A  sensitive  wife  and  mother,  by  the  dis- 
agreeable attitude  of  a  husband,  son,  or  daugh- 
ter long  continued,  may  die  years  before  she 
would  have  died  if  husband,  son,  and  daughter 
had  been  harmonious.  "  No  one  liveth  to  him- 
self and  no  one  dieth  to  himself." 


68     HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

A  house  may  burn  down  in  an  hour  or  dis- 
appear as  thoroughly  after  many  years  by 
gradual  decay,  disintegration.  Both  processes 
are  the  same. 

Oftentimes  a  person  is  not  aware  that  he  is 
living  in  emotional  states  that  are  shortening, 
lessening  his  life,  showing  disease. 

Mrs.  X.,  wife  of  a  clergyman,  was  discuss- 
ing at  a  summer  resort  the  effects  of  the  emo- 
tions on  the  body,  and  she  declared  there  was 
no  scientific  truth  about  it,  for  she  said  she 
had  suffered  and  was  suffering  very  much  from 
neuralgia  in  the  face.  It  had  been  remarked 
that  this  nerve  pain  was  often  caused  or  made 
worse  by  a  condemnatory  or  hating  spirit  in 
the  sufferer.  She  said  she  loved  everybody, 
it  was  her  duty;  she  hated  no  one.  Just  then 
a  Mr.  Y.,  working  at  the  hotel,  who  the  evening 
before  had  maltreated  a  boy,  a  boarder,  ap- 
peared. She  remarked:  "  There  goes  that  Y. 
I  would  just  love  to  annihilate  that  man."  "  A 
person  is  what  he  thinks,  not  what  he  thinks 
he  is." 

Suppose  an  electric  car  is  about  to  run  into 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  69 

a  person,  and  that  that  person  does  not  allow 
himself  to  be  frightened,  but  remains  poised 
and  attentive  to  the  business  in  hand.  He  feels 
courage  even  at  the  solar  plexus  and  strength 
throughout  the  body.  The  objective  mind  re- 
mains firm,  the  subjective  mind  follows  the 
lead,  and  all  the  functions  of  the  body  are 
helped.  This  person  thus  poised  will  be  able 
to  escape  unhurt,  doubtlessly,  but  would  be 
injured  or  killed  if  he  gave  up  to  fright  and 
its  attendant  weakness.  His  self-control  brings 
adequate  action  of  the  lungs  as  to  oxygen  go- 
ing into  and  carbon  dioxide  coming  out  of  the 
blood ;  the  circulation  of  the  blood  will  go  equa- 
bly everywhere  to  strengthen  the  body;  there 
will  be  no  extra  toxins  found  in  the  tissues 
from  this  poise;  the  blood  will  be  at  its  best 
for  body-building;  the  twenty-five  per  cent,  or 
more  of  oxygen  in  the  blood  will  prevent  bac- 
terial multiplication;  the  positive  and  nega- 
tive magnetic  condition  of  every  atom  in  his 
body  will  be  balanced,  no  self-electrocution  will 
occur.  More  life,  more  strength,  clear  mind 
will  be  his,  and  he  can  hardly  do  otherwise 


70     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

than  escape  unhurt.  His  eyes  will  be  clear,  his 
muscles  strong  and  agile.  If  he  should  be  in- 
jured, he  would  recover  more  quickly  than 
under  fright,  for  his  vitality  is  unimpaired. 
"  For  as  he  thinketh  in  his  heart  (solar  plexus 
subjective  state)  so  is  he." 

The  reaction  of  such  a  bodily  condition  on 
the  total  mind  is  exalting,  and  the  action  and 
reaction  between  the  two  for  good  abides  and 
increases. 

When  poise,  fearlessness,  is  shown  in  the 
presence  of  ferocious  animals,  it  not  only  saves 
the  peaceful,  fearless  one,  but  acts  mightily  on 
the  animal  for  peaceableness.  Daniel  in  the 
lions '  den  is  an  instance  of  this.  Among  men 
the  effect  of  the  kindly  poised  person  on  all 
is  of  every-day  note.  Our  domestic  animals 
obey  us  best  and  most  promptly  through  this 
law  of  true  poise.  The  home,  the  school,  the 
crowd  illustrate  it.  A  soldier  of  the  Civil  War, 
whose  business  makes  it  necessary  for  him 
to  call  at  many  private  houses,  used  to  be  very 
much  annoyed  by  dogs  barking  at  and  even 
biting  him.     He  became  interested  in  mental 


THE   NEKVE   SYSTEM  71 

and  physical  poise,  thought  along  these  lines, 
read  the  best  books  on  it,  practised  what  they 
preached.  In  a  very  short  time  he  became  con- 
scious that  the  dogs  were  licking  his  hands, 
trotting  gladly  by  his  side,  lying  down  near 
his  feet  when  he  sat  on  the  lawn  or  piazza  to 
talk  business,  instead  of  as  formerly  barking  at 
and  biting  him.  During  this  same  time  this 
person's  eyesight  very  much  improved,  a  tu- 
mor disappeared,  his  hair  turned  darker,  his 
indigestion  left  him,  a  strength  and  springi- 
ness came  into  his  walk.  Not  a  miracle,  but 
definite  results  by  exact  law. 

All  positive,  optimistic,  helpful,  right  emo- 
tional states  of  mind,  like  courage,  patience, 
peace,  self-control,  harmony,  purity,  unselfish- 
ness, love,  act  on  all  the  functions  of  the  body 
for  health  in  a  similar  manner  as  peacefulness 
has  just  been  described  to  act.  The  mind  is  in 
health  when  it  is  poised,  and  it  builds  about 
itself  a  poised  body.  An  honest,  skilful  car- 
penter builds  an  honest,  durable  house ;  a  dis- 
honest, unskilled  (or  even  skilled)  carpenter 
builds  a  dishonest,   "  cheap-material  "  house. 


72     HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

Chemical  tests  of  the  breath  of  persons  in 
cheerful  states  of  mind  have  been  made,  then 
similar  tests  with  the  same  persons  while  in 
anger,  or  just  after  it,  have  been  repeated.  The 
breath  in  the  second  experiments  contained 
alkaloid  poisons;  in  the  first  experiments  no 
poison  of  any  kind  was  found.  Cold  perspira- 
tion that  is  caused  by  fear  has  in  it  an  alkaloid 
poison,  but  the  perspiration  of  the  same  person 
working  while  in  a  joyous  state  of  mind  con- 
tains no  such  poison.  These  causes  and  effects 
in  mind  and  body,  along  the  positive,  optimis- 
tic, emotional  side  of  life,  constitute  a  law  as 
immutable  as  any  astronomical  law. 

The  subjective  mind  ever  being  influenced  by 
the  objective,  working  especially  in  and  through 
the  solar  plexus  and  all  its  nerve  ramifications 
to  every  vital  point  in  the  body,  acts  as  a  chem- 
ist mind  in  building  the  blood  into  the  body 
successfully  or  unsuccessfully.  The  subjective 
mind,  educated  by  all  the  past  objective  experi- 
ence, instinct,  heredity,  is  heaven  or  hell.  It 
may  well  be  called  the  "  book  of  life, ' '  the  daily 
"  day  of  judgment.' ' 


THE   NEKVE   SYSTEM  73 

The  mind  acting  objectively  is  a  pioneer,  a 
sentinel,  and  increaser  or  decreaser,  a  helper 
or  hinderer,  the  "  dove  from  the  ark  "  —  per- 
chance. The  objective,  it  would  seem,  ought  to 
guard  the  subjective  mind,  but  it  often  happens 
that  the  objective  attempts  to  lead  wrongly, 
and  the  fairly  well-educated  subjective  mind  up 
to  that  time,  refuses  to  obey  instructions. 
Sometimes  it  will  not  heed  the  good  instruc- 
tions of  the  objective,  and  will  perversely  do 
the  thing  advised  against.  However,  in  either 
case,  the  objective  is  not  able  to  fill  its  posi- 
tions in  a  perfect  way. 

The  writer  has  found  it  comparatively  easy 
to  improve  the  morality  and  spirituality  of  the 
young  —  it  appeals  equally  strongly  to  all  ages 
—  by  getting  into  their  minds  a  practical  mo- 
tive for  the  desire  of  morality  and  spirituality. 
Some  people  develop  morality  as  naturally  as 
a  duck  takes  to  water;  it  is  instinctive,  in- 
herited, hereditary,  worked  out  in  a  previous 
life  or  in  ancestors,  or  in  reincarnation,  or  in 
all  these  ways.  Others  have  to  be  trained  and 
helped  all  the  time  to  get  a  habit  of  good  be- 


74     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

havior.  It  is  a  matter  of  one  talent  or  five 
talents. 

The  custom  has  been  much  to  drive,  to  force 
politeness,  education  into  the  young,  to  say, 
' '  Thus  saith  the  Lord, ' '  and  give  no  reason,  ex- 
planation, or  encouragement,  except,  perhaps, 
"  Do  it  because  I  tell  you  to."  "  Force  is 
hell;  attractive,  persuasive  consent  is  heaven.' ' 

A  boy  of  excellent  family,  as  the  word  goes, 
became  more  and  more  irritable  with  his 
mother,  angry  often.  He  was  for  a  few  weeks 
a  private  student  of  the  writer 's.  It  was  found 
that  the  boy  very  much  desired  to  be  strong, 
a  good  football,  baseball,  tennis,  golf  player,  a 
fine  swimmer,  rapid  runner,  to  be  at  the  head 
of  his  class  in  the  high  school,  to  study  law, 
practise  successfully,  and  live  a  long,  happy 
life  with  comfortable  surroundings,  self- 
achieved.  It  was  easy  to  convince  him  ob- 
jectively and  subjectively  that  no  one  could 
think  any  more  of  him  than  he  thought  of  him- 
self, and  he  very  much  desired  to  be  appre- 
ciated by  everybody.  All  this  was  the  soil  in 
which  the  seed  was  planted  that  must  develop 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  75 

into  poise  and  spirituality.  He  was  convinced 
by  experiment,  observation,  practice,  explana- 
tion that  lie  could  obtain  all  these  desires  of 
his  if  he  would  begin  at  once  to  be  thought- 
fully kind  to  his  mother,  to  all,  to  do  more 
and  more  to  others  as  he  would  be  done  by. 
His  interest  was  deep  in  the  laws  of  poised 
mental  states,  positive  emotional  conditions,  in 
the  good  results  on  the  circulation,  on  the  qual- 
ity of  the  blood,  on  bacteria,  on  the  electric 
condition,  on  the  fact  that  kindliness  kept  the 
blood  rich,  and  unkindliness  generated  poison 
in  it,  on  the  oxygen  carbon  dioxide  law,  that 
all  this  meant  a  clearer  mind,  more  happiness, 
health,  success,  long  life.  He  began  his  mind 
reform  immediately.  In  a  very  few  days  a 
parental  report  came  that  there  had  been  al- 
most an  instant  change  from  a  hateful  attitude 
of  mind  and  act  to  a  kindly,  almost  loving  one. 
In  a  few  weeks  his  "  new  mind  "  was  fixed. 
He  has  recently  said  that  at  first  he  had  to 
reason  when  trying  to  act  better  toward  his 
mother,  by  thinking  that  if  he  would  be  suc- 
cessful with  himself  in  all  his  desires  he  must 


76     HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

"  curb  his  temper. "  After  a  little  he  did  not 
have  to  repeat  this  "  association  of  ideas." 
His  improved  conduct  toward  all  followed  in 
the  same  way.  He  is  becoming  more  and  more 
altruistic,  anotheristic,  not  consciously  selfish, 
not  selfistic;  he  is  succeeding  happily.  "  A  lily 
grows  out  of  the  mud  "  and  "  A  rose  may  grow 
out  of  a  dunghill. ' ' 

There  is  no  better  way  to  teach  anatomy, 
physiology,  hygiene.  This  is  applied  science. 
In  this  way  the  strength  of  mind  and  body 
that  purity  gives  can  be  taught  perfectly  nat- 
urally and  effectually.  Let  us  help  the  young 
to  get  experience  of  God,  good,  law  into  them 
objectively  and  subjectively,  and  not  try  to 
drive  it  in  second-hand. 

Two  persons  eat  of  the  same  poisoned 
chicken.  One  dies,  the  other  is  not  affected. 
The  person  not  feeling  any  bad  results  may 
be  a  cheerful,  good  breather,  with  pure  blood, 
excellent,  equable  circulation,  bacteria  at  a 
minimum,  good  electric  condition,  pores  work- 
ing well  for  elimination,  kidneys  active,  all  the 
functions  of  the  body  wide  awake.     A  little 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  77 

poison  taken  into  the  system  by  such  a  person 
would  be  so  quickly  chemicalized  into  a  harm- 
less product  or  eliminated  from  the  tissues 
that  no  bad  effect  could  occur.  The  one  dying 
may  be  a  pessimistic,  shallow  breather,  with 
poor  blood,  non-equable  circulation,  abundant 
bacteria,  negative  electric  condition,  toxined 
blood,  pores,  kidneys,  and  all  functions  slug- 
gish. Such  an  one  must  suffer,  die.  This  is 
a  law  of  the  universe. 

The  ninety-first  Psalm  is  thought  of  in  this 
connection:  "  There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee, 
neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwell- 
ing,' '  referring  to  him  who  "  dwelleth  in  the 
secret  place  of  the  Most  High.,,  Only  "  se- 
cret," because  so  few  find  it.  There  is  no 
miracle  in  all  this ;  it  is  natural,  universal,  uni- 
form kindly  law  for  all  who  think  it,  live  it. 

"  He  sendeth  the  rain  on  the  just  and  the 
unjust,"  but  the  truly  just  man  is  not  affected 
by  the  rain  as  the  really  unjust  man  is.  In 
the  former  no  bad  effects  are  shown  by  the 
soaking;  in  the  latter,  pneumonia  may  start 
up. 


78     HEALTH   THBOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

Hate  has  the  most  unhealthful  effect  on  the 
mind  and  body,  while  love  has  the  most  health- 
ful effect.  Love  enriches  the  tissue,  adds  nu- 
tritious values  by  rechemicalizing  harmful  sub- 
stances into  harmless  ones,  stimulates  the  cells 
to  manufacture  extra  energy,  puts  one  in  tune 
with  the  Infinite,  to  vibrate  electrically,  mag- 
netically with  the  universal  energy,  God-con- 
sciousness. As  more  love  comes  into  the  mind, 
the  chemic  laws  of  the  body  change  from  plane 
to  plane.  Less  carbon  and  less  oxygen  are 
used  to  perform  a  "  given  act  "  or  think  a 
"  given  thought  "  when  one  is  imbued  with 
extreme  unselfishness,  love. 

"  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  "  He 
that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake  (my  princi- 
ples) shall  find  it."  The  law  is  fulfilled  or 
filled  full  by  the  greatest  results  being  accom- 
plished for  all,  self  included,  by  the  least  ex- 
penditure of  energy.    This  is  Godlike. 

One  can  help  another  best  by  making  him- 
self better.  One  can  most  readily  make  him- 
self better  by  helping  others.  To  lose  one's 
life,  to  spend  his  time  and  energy  for  a  good 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  79 

purpose,  is  a  better  life,  true  living;  is  unself- 
ishness, love,  strength,  health. 

There  is  a  mental  condition  called  intellect- 
ive, which  may  affect  health  neither  for  better 
nor  for  worse,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  any  one 
is  ever  in  such  a  condition,  at  least,  long  at 
a  time,  or  purely  so.  If  a  surgeon  can  ampu- 
tate a  man's  leg  as  a  matter  of  good  work, 
without  any  experience  of  pity,  regret,  glad- 
ness, and  delight,  then  he  is  in  an  intellective 
state  of  mind.  It  is  health  then  to  cultivate 
only  the  healthful  emotions,  as  peace,  self-con- 
trol, cheerfulness,  patience,  gentleness,  har- 
mony. It  is  non-health  to  indulge  in  the  emo- 
tions of  fear,  hurry,  worry,  anger,  jealousy, 
hate.  One  needs  not  to  cultivate  the  negative 
states,  as  he  will  have  enough  of  that  kind  pre- 
sented in  life's  real  experiences. 

Very  few,  if  any,  die  in  an  army  after  a 
battle  when  it  is  marching  victoriously.  In 
an  army  defeated,  retreating,  very  many  die. 
This  is  true  even  when  there  are  equal  num- 
bers wounded  on  both  sides. 

Many  who   attend  funerals   "  catch   cold," 


80     HEALTH   THKOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

have  pneumonia,  feel  depleted  while  even  at- 
tending the  ceremony  and  much  more  after- 
ward. The  negative  emotions  act  the  same 
"  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever."  If  one 
dwells  on  depression,  he  must  take  depression's 
reward.  No  one  was  ever  known  to  contract 
a  cold  or  suffer  ill  effects  during  or  just  after 
his  baptism,  even  though  immersed  in  a  river 
running  ice,  in  coldest  and  most  inclement 
weather.  Hope,  trust,  love  are  at  their  highest 
at  such  times,  and  they  cannot  build  a  troubling 
body. 

Diaphragmatic  breathing  must  be  mentioned 
here  in  its  relation  to  the  diaphragm,  solar 
plexus,  and  its  connections.  The  movement  of 
the  diaphragm  in  inhalation  and  exhalation 
moves  the  solar  plexus,  causes  it  to  be  mas- 
saged. This  arouses  the  whole  sympathetic 
nerve  system  to  do  its  best  work.  More  oxy- 
gen flows  in.  The  mind  is  quickly  strength- 
ened, blues  depart,  despondency  vanishes.  This 
is  often  called  "  waking  the  solar  plexus." 
Kib  breathing  does  not  wake  it.  Whenever  per- 
turbed in  any  way  in  mind,  go  to  breathing 


THE   NERVE    SYSTEM  81 

diaphragmatically,  cheerfully,  and  "  work 
miracles  "  by  law.  Laughter  shakes  the  dia- 
phragm and  the  solar  plexus,  all  its  ramifica- 
tions, all  the  viscera,  and  it  is  health.  How 
often  one  sees  children,  in  school  or  anywhere, 
pat  with  the  hand  over  or  in  front  of  the  solar 
plexus  when  some  very  delightful  event  is 
about  to  occur  of  which  they  have  been  told. 

There  are  plexuses  of  nerves  in  the  pelvic 
region,  in  the  stomach,  heart,  lungs,  liver,  and 
other  organs.  These  are  all  inferior  to  the 
solar  plexus  as  to  consistency,  power,  complex- 
ity. The  solar  plexus,  having  a  large  centre 
of  purely  brain  nervous  matter,  should  prop- 
erly be  called  the  abdominal  brain.  A  plexus 
is  chiefly  a  network  of  nerves.  Irritations,  dis- 
turbances in  any  part  of  the  body,  are  reported 
to  the  abdominal  brain  through  its  everywhere 
present  nerves.  Here  the  report  or  vibra- 
tional shock  is  reorganized  and  sent  all  over 
the  body  through  the  sympathetic  nerves. 
Where  there  is  the  most  open  nerve-channel 
or  the  least  resistance,  the  worst  effect  will  go 
and  be  felt,  or  the  best  effect,  if  the  report  from 


82     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

the  body  to  the  abdominal  brain  is  a  good  one. 
Disorder  in  the  pelvic  plexus  or  region  may 
be  reported  directly  through  the  vaso-motor 
nerves;  the  gangliated  nerve-road,  near  the 
backbone,  thence  down  the  splanchnics,  pneu- 
mogastric,  and  even  by  way  of  nerves  in  the 
sacral  plexus,  or  by  nerves  near  the  cervical 
plexus  to  the  solar  plexus.  All  these  channels 
are  sympathetic  nerves.  If  the  resistance 
along  the  nerves  leading  to  the  stomach  plexus 
is  the  least,  nausea,  vomiting,  may  result,  or 
indigestion  or  gastritis,  for  the  circulation  of 
the  blood  to  that  organ  would  be  very  much 
diminished  by  the  sympathetic  nerves  in  the 
coatings  of  the  blood-vessels.  If  the  shock 
were  very  intense,  severe  paralysis  of  the  reg- 
ulating nerves  might  occur,  then  more  blood 
would  go  to  the  stomach,  that  is,  too  much, 
—  a  bleeding  stomach  does  sometimes  occur. 
If  a  person  tried  to  remedy  his  stomach  as 
such  in  this  case,  he  would  fail;  the  disturb- 
ance is  in  the  pelvis  somewhere,  in  some  of  its 
organs,  —  aim  there.  It  is  a  wise  diagnoser 
who   makes   no   mistakes   in   such   conditions. 


THE   NERVE    SYSTEM  83 

The  heart  may  palpitate  and  the  cause  be  in 
the  kidneys.  The  nose  may  be  in  trouble,  the 
face  pimpled,  the  voice  changing,  the  throat 
sore,  the  head  aching,  and,  owing  to  the  omni- 
present sympathetic  nerve  system,  the  causes 
may  be  and  usually  are  in  some  pelvic  plexus ; 
or  the  stomach,  liver,  or  some  other  organ  is 
shocking,  telephoning  misery  and  overcoming 
the  least  resisting  regions.  To  locate  a  disease 
physically  is  as  difficult  as  to  "  find  a  needle 
in  a  haystack.' ' 

The  sympathetic  nerves  in  the  second  half 
of  the  colon  that  regulate  the  size  of  its  blood- 
vessels in  its  coatings  are  in  one  definite  plexus 
in  connection  with  the  solar  plexus.  This 
plexus  will  receive  good  or  bad  impulses  from 
the  solar  plexus,  according  to  its  much  or  little 
resistance  and  the  general  and  particular  state 
of  the  body.  In  constipation  this  channel  is 
very  open  for  bad  reports.  If  the  message  con- 
stricts the  size  of  the  blood-vessels  through  the 
nerves  in  their  walls,  then  not  enough  blood 
would  flow  into  that  part  of  the  colon,  not  suf- 
ficient juices  could  be  formed  out  of  the  blood 


84      HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

to  moisten  the  contents  of  the  colon,  and  the 
retarded  contents  would  have  constipation, 
stoppage.  The  message  might  be  so  severe 
that  nerve  paralysis  would  ensue  and  too  much 
blood  would  flow  to  the  parts,  and  diarrhoea 
would  exist.  If  these  two  states  tend  to  alter- 
nate, then  fermentation  sets  in  and  gases  will 
be  troublesome.  There  are  other  nerve-centres 
that  assist  in  this  work.  These  three  troubles 
may  follow  each  other  by  different  quantities 
of  the  same  quality  of  shock  following  each 
other.  The  subjective  mind  is  doing  all  this, 
doing  the  best  it  can  under  its  objective  tutel- 
age. Of  course,  there  may  be  lesions,  mis- 
placements, causing  constipation,  or  making  it 
worse.  An  osteopath  can  remove  a  lesion  more 
quickly  than  poised  thought  can,  but  let  us  have 
both,  if  needed,  then,  when  well,  stay  well. 
Wrong  emotional  states  are  primarily  behind 
constipation  somewhere,  somehow.  If  one  will 
become  more  and  more  uniformly  cheerful,  pa- 
tient, pure,  unselfish,  fearless,  poised,  his  con- 
stipation must  become  less  and  less  and  go  out, 
for  the  objective  mind  will  cure  the  subjective, 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  85 

and  it  will,  through  the  sympathetic  nerve  sys- 
tem permit,  compel  every  function  to  approach 
normal,  the  lungs  will  do  adequate  breathing, 
the  circulation  will  be  rich  and  equable,  suf- 
ficient digestive  juices  will  be  secreted,  and  the 
colon  fecal  matter  will  be  mucosed  and  will 
move  along  with  its  usual  rhythm  of  health. 
The  writer  has  relieved  constipation  by  exer- 
cises, breathing,  oil,  figs,  water,  and  the  like, 
but  when  the  student  gained  this  cheerful,  fear- 
less mind  poise,  constipation  went,  disap- 
peared. What  is  true  of  constipation  is  true 
of  any  disease  or  disorder.  "  Thy  faith  hath 
made  thee  whole  ' '  applies  right  here,  —  faith, 
principles  of  belief,  thought  and  acted  here  all 
the  time.  A  mind  state  that  is  uniformly  cheer- 
fully poised  is  the  faith  kept,  and  the  body,  too, 
is  made  whole.  "  Go  sin  no  more  lest  a  worse 
thing  come  upon  thee."  Go  back  to  negativity 
and  pessimism  of  mind  and  the  worst  thing 
comes.  If  the  reader  thinks  this  quotation 
misapplied,  let  it  be  asked,  How  can  anything 
higher  and  grander  be  attained  than  "  a  sound 
mind  in  a  sound  body?  "     "  I  beseech  you, 


86     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  (laws)  of 
God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sac- 
rifice, holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your 
reasonable  service.' ' 

A  person  may  eat  sufficiently  and  yet  have 
malnutrition,  starvation  in  some  organ  or  part 
of  the  body,  from  lack  of  oxygen,  from  con- 
stricted capillaries,  arterioles,  which  cannot 
feed  properly  with  blood  the  neglected  part. 

When  diagnosing  any  illness,  disorder,  dis- 
ease of  one's  own  or  that  of  another,  ascertain 
the  average  emotional  state,  rectify  the  chemist 
mind  at  once,  whatever  else  you  may  do  as  to 
medicine,  climate,  occupation,  diet,  getting 
among  more  agreeable  people,  and  the  like. 

If  poison  or  an  obstruction  gets  into  the 
stomach,  extra  juices  flow  there  to  remove  it, 
to  make  it  less  harmful,  or  the  stomach  may 
eject  it  through  the  mouth  or  force  it  through 
the  intestines.  The  whole  body  unites  to  assist 
in  restoring  order;  the  conscious  mind  as  such 
does  not  do  this.  Do  you  say  "  survival  of  the 
fittest  "  has  brought  about  this  method  of  ac- 
tion or  reflex  action  and  the  like?    Behind  all, 


THE   NEKVE   SYSTEM  87 

within  all  is  the  chemist,  subconscious,  wise- 
directing  mind.  Educate  the  mind  in  all  poise 
and  use  the  body  apparatus  well,  as  is  every 
one's  privilege.  It  means  that  attention  must 
be  pleasantly  given  to  reform,  if  it  is  needed, 
and  who  does  not  need  a  bit  morel 

The  solar  plexus  was  so  named  from  its 
shape,  suggesting  the  sun  and  its  solar  rays. 
It  may  signify  its  sun  or  solar  relation  to  the 
body.  The  sun  causes  the  earth  to  have  its 
light,  heat,  growth,  life,  too  much  or  too  little. 
It  is  at  least  the  channel  for  such  results  or 
phenomena.  The  solar  plexus  and  its  connec- 
tions, in  a  similar  way,  are  at  least  the  chan- 
nels whereby  warmth,  growth,  life,  too  much 
or  too  little,  exist  in  all  parts  of  the  body. 
The  Infinite  energy  acts  from  sun  to  earth,  the 
specialized  subjective  and  objective  mind  acts 
from  bodily  centre  to  circumference.  It  is 
helpful  to  dwell  on  this  comparison. 

The  following  relation  of  nerve  systems  and 
conscious  and  subconscious  minds  may  be  in- 
teresting and  serviceable: 

The  federal  government  may  represent  the 


88     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

cerebrospinal  nerve  system,  its  muscles,  and 
the  objective  mind;  the  state  government  may 
represent  the  solar  plexus  or  abdominal  brain, 
the  nerves  and  ganglia  leading  out,  and  the 
subjective  mind;  the  city  and  town  govern- 
ment may  represent  the  various  organs,  plex- 
uses, and  subjective  mind.  There  can  be  a 
civil  war,  distracted  conscious  mind;  state  se- 
cession or  insubordination,  undisciplined  solar 
plexus  and  subjective  mind;  city  and  town  non- 
submission,  badly  affected  organ  plexuses,  poor 
subjective  education.  Each  trouble  affects  all 
departments.  There  could  not  be  a  federal 
government  (conscious  mind)  without  states, 
cities,  and  towns.  A  poised  federal  head  gives 
strength  to  state  and  town,  and  they  in  turn 
help  to  make  a  mighty  nation. 

It  is  not  intended  to  delegate  the  mind  to 
two  places,  cranial  and  abdominal  brains. 
Mind  is  in  every  atom  of  the  body.  It  is  often 
said  that  the  left  hand  is  nearer  the  heart  than 
the  right  hand  is.  That  is  true  as  to  the  heart 
as  a  pumping  organ,  but  not  true  when  heart 
means  feeling,  character,  as  in  "  His  head  and 


THE    NERVE   SYSTEM  89 

heart  are  both  right."  The  solar  plexus  is  the 
centre  of  feeling,  character,  habit,  instinct, 
conscience.  The  left  hand  is  no  nearer  this 
heart  than  the  right  hand  is. 

There  are  many  references  in  the  Bible  to 
the  abdominal  brain  or  solar  plexus  under 
these  names:  kidneys  or  reins,  hidden  parts, 
inmost  parts  of  the  belly,  bowels  of  compas- 
sion, heart.  From  these  references  one  can 
readily  realize  that  the  Bible  writers  believed 
that  in  the  region  of  the  solar  plexus  abode 
truth,  affection,  inspiration,  judgment,  fear, 
sorrow,  joy,  peace,  strength,  weakness,  health, 
motive  force.  E.g.  "  Keep  thy  heart  with  all 
diligence,  for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 

* '  Examine  me,  0  Jehovah,  and  prove  me  and 
refine  my  reins  and  my  heart." 

"  The  breath  of  man  is  the  lamp  of  Jeho- 
vah searching  all  the  inward  parts  of  the 
belly." 

"  Thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward  parts 
and  in  the  hidden  parts  thou  shalt  make  me 
to  know  wisdom." 

"  When  I  heard,  my  belly  trembled." 


90     HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

"  Yea,  my  reins  shall  exult  when  thy  lips 
speak  right  things." 

"  Thus  my  heart  was  grieved,  and  I  was 
pricked  in  my  reins." 

"  My  reins   also  instruct  me  in  the  night 


season." 


1 '  Bemember,  0  Jehovah,  thy  bowels  and  thy 
lovingkindness. ' ' 

"  Thy  law  is  within  my  bowels.' ' 

"  For  God  is  my  record,  how  greatly  I  long 
after  you  all  in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ." 

11  But  whoso  hath  this  world's  goods  and 
seeth  his  brother  have  need  and  shutteth  up  his 
bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth 
the  love  of  God  in  him?  " 

"  I  am  full  of  words,  the  breath  within  me 
(the  spirit  of  my  belly)  constraineth  me." 

"  All  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he 
which  searcheth  the  reins  and  the  hearts." 

Control  the  solar  plexus  and  you  control  the 
whole  organization,  mental  and  physical,  for  a 
mighty  work  now  and  hereafter. 

The  writer  of  the  ninety-first  Psalm  evi- 
dently believed  in  aura.     The  halo  given  by 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  91 

artists  to  Jesus  and  the  saints  indicate  the 
same  belief.  The  theosophist  represents  it  as 
ellipsoidal  or  egg-shaped,  with  the  more  phys- 
ical man  at  the  centre.  This  may  be  the  astral 
body.  One's  magnetic  presence  is  aura.  Vi- 
bration of  some  sort  goes  from  everybody. 
This  is  aura.  Experiments  with  an  electro- 
magnetic instrument  prove  that  an  electric 
aura  surrounds  every  one  to  a  certain  dis- 
tance, perhaps  nine  feet  away.  A  person's 
changing  emotions  are  registered  by  the  instru- 
ment unattached  to  the  sitter.  A  negative 
thought  sends  the  index  to  the  negative  side, 
a  positive  thought  to  the  positive  side.  Any 
quality  of  emotional  thinking  in  the  conscious 
mind  is  put  into  every  cell  of  the  body  through 
the  subjective  mind's  work  in  the  sympathetic 
nerve  system,  and  the  electric  condition  is  thus 
registered. 

When  one  thinks  consciously,  the  results  are 
laid  away  in  the  subconscious  mind.  This  is 
self-suggestion,  auto-suggestion,  without  defi- 
nite intention.  One  may  consciously  auto-sug- 
gest to  himself,  and  this  is  perhaps  more  pow- 


92      HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

erful;  it  is  purposeful.  We  are  all  practising 
self-suggestion,  whether  we  know  it  or  not. 
This  process  may  produce  a  good  or  bad  result. 
It  is  a  mode  of  vibration.  Thought  is  a  mode 
of  vibration.  The  universe  is  one  energy  of 
potential  vibrations  of  different  rates,  whether 
called  physical,  mental,  or  spiritual. 

When  one  acts  on  the  conscious  mind  of  an- 
other, he  is  using,  in  a  general  way,  suggestion, 
whether  it  is  done  by  look,  gesture,  or  any 
means  of  communication,  usually  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  recipient.  This  suggestion  is  laid 
away  in  the  receiver's  subjective  mind  by  his 
own  self-suggestion,  for  good  or  bad  on  the 
whole  being.  The  suggestion  may  act  directly 
on  the  subconscious  mind,  it  welling  up  into 
the  conscious.  Every  one  is  thus  in  one  way  or 
another  suggesting  to  every  one  with  whom  he 
is  in  contact.  All  are  practising  it,  consciously 
or  unconsciously.  When  consciously  per- 
formed, it  perhaps  is  more  resultful.  Hyp- 
notization  in  a  general  sense  comes  under  this 
mode  of  vibration. 

All  we  do  and  think  affects  the  whole  uni- 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  93 

verse  near  and  far.  When  we  think  of  the 
vibrations  as  acting  at  or  from  a  distance,  it 
may  be  called  telepathy,  telesthesia.  Every 
person,  every  tree,  every  rock,  every  star,  every 
atom  in  the  universe  is  vibrating  or  telepathing 
to  all  other  existences,  and  they  are  being  vi- 
brated upon  or  telepathed  to,  and  the  state  of 
existence  of  any  entity  at  any  time  is  the  total 
result  of  vibrations.  There  is  law  in  all  this 
without  the  "  shadow  of  turning.' '  "  Mind 
and  purpose  ride  on  matter  to  the  last  atom." 
"  In  him  we  live,  move,  and  have  our  being.' ' 
This  telepathy  may  have  a  good  or  bad  influ- 
ence; it  depends  on  how  the  vibration  is  met. 
This  influence  becomes  a  suggestion,  and  it  is 
auto-suggested  into  the  subjective  mind,  and 
hence  the  body.  Or  the  total  telepathic  influ- 
ence may  influence  for  bad  or  good  directly 
the  subconscious  mind  and  health. 

In  telesthesia  we  all  are  causing  others  to 
receive  certain  impressions,  feelings,  clairvoy- 
ant messages,  and  they  similarly  to  us. 

It  is  held  by  some  to  be  necessary  for  the  soul 
to  leave  the  body,  as  in  sleep,  and  visit  a  dis- 


94     HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

tant  place  in  order  to  get  knowledge  of  events 
in  that  place.  This  does  not  seem  unifyingly 
scientific.  We  receive  knowledge  through  the 
eye  from  the  sun,  millions  of  miles  away.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  visit  the  sun  to  get  knowl- 
edge from  it  or  of  it. 

There  is  a  general  sense  whereby  one  re- 
ceives impressions,  knowledge.  The  lowest 
animals  have  it  well  developed.  Clairvoyance, 
news  from  the  discarnate  possibly,  may  be 
received  by  all  who  can  respond  or  be  receptive 
to  the  particular  vibration  in  a  way  similar  to 
our  receiving  vibrations  through  the  specialized 
senses  of  seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting, 
touching. 

Prayer  acts  along  the  same  lines  of  vibra- 
tion, telepathy,  suggestion,  self-suggestion. 
"We  impress  our  desires  on,  upon  the  universal 
energy,  God,  in  the  midst  of  whom  we  are. 
We  receive  exactly  the  same  kind  of  influence 
we  send  out. 

"  Prayer  is  the  soul's  sincere  desire, 
Uttered  or  unexpressed, 
The  motion  of  a  hidden  fire, 
That  trembles  in  the  breast." 


THE   1STEEVE   SYSTEM  95 

i '  As  we  sow  so  shall  we  reap. ' ' 

Vibration,  motion,  is  -universal.  Energy  is 
expressed  by  differing  vibrations  in  differing 
media.  A  rock  as  a  whole  vibrates,  all  its 
atoms  have  motion ;  so  with  the  earth,  air,  man, 
the  light-bearing  electric  ether.  Still  water, 
when  a  stone  is  dropped  into  it,  ripples  in  ever 
enlarging  circles  from  the  centre  of  disturb- 
ance. The  water  as  a  whole  does  not  go  or 
move  from  the  centre.  Its  consistency  con- 
denses and  rarefies,  and  thus  makes  mostly  an 
up  and  down  motion,  and  a  chip  on  the  ripple 
does  not  move  out,  but  up  and  down.  It  is 
so  with  air,  so  with  the  light  and  electric  ether, 
and  so  with  mind  vibration  in  whatever  medium 
or  energy  it  vibrates. 

Wireless  telegraphy  motions  the  ether,  gives 
and  receives  the  vibrations  from  the  sending 
voice  to  the  receiving  ear.  The  tympanum  of 
the  ear,  a  solid,  transfers  by  vibration.  There 
is  wired  telegraphic  vibration,  there  is  the  same 
vibration  wireless,  unconfined.  Thought  is 
wireless,  unconfined.  Thought  transference  is 
a  scientific  fact.    Personal  experience  convinces 


96     HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

and  gives  faith.  A  question  was  privately 
written  on  his  own  prepared  paper,  folded,  put 
into  the  pocket,  thought  on  several  times.  The 
mind-reader,  the  receiver,  the  receptive  sensi- 
tive mind,  was  thirty  feet  away,  excluded  from 
sight.  The  name  and  a  question  of  seven  words 
were  answered  by  voice  to  the  writer.  The 
thought  vibration  aroused  in  his  mind  and 
brain  went  through  the  appropriate  medium 
into  the  receiver's  mind,  where  it  was  trans- 
lated. 

Vibrate  one  of  two  tuning-forks  placed  near 
each  other,  the  other  will  take  on  the  vibration, 
the  two  forks  being  in  the  same  key.  Action 
and  reaction  will  develop  a  loud  tone.  Each 
gives  and  receives.  This  is  by  air  vibration. 
Two  brains  and  two  minds  in  a  connecting 
medium  act  and  react  on  each  other.  The  mole- 
cules in  one  brain  vibrating,  a  definite  thought 
goes  forth,  vibrating  the  ether  until  the  other 
brain  and  mind  are  similarly  vibrated,  that  is, 
exactly  as  the  first  mind  and  brain  vibrated. 
Thought  has  been  transferred. 

A  mother  in  America,  a  daughter  in  Europe 


THE   NERVE    SYSTEM  97 

have  the  same  spells  of  health  and  non-health 
at  the  same  times.  Cold,  headache,  indigestion, 
depression,  elation,  simultaneous  each  in  both. 
The  universe  is  vibration.  There  is  one  law 
of  influence,  cause  and  effect.  There  are  vari- 
ous views  about  this  law,  but  at  bottom  is  sin- 
gleness, simplicity,  unity,  equivalency.  Gravi- 
tation, heat,  chemic  action,  electricity,  thought, 
"  One  Lord  (law),  one  faith,  one  baptism.' ' 
Physicality,  mentality,  morality,  spirituality 
are  vibrations  of  different  quantity,  dimension, 
quality,  in  the  infinite  ether  and  energy  of 
"  God  with  us.' ' 

A  very  despondent  person,  uniformly  so,  sit- 
ting in  one  room,  often  changes  the  emotional 
state  of  a  person  in  an  adjoining  room  from 
cheerfulness  to  sadness,  neither  knowing  of  the 
near  presence  of  the  other.  The  one  affected 
sadly,  complaining  of  distress,  has  been  imme- 
diately relieved  by  removing  the  uniformly 
despondent  person  and  having  a  light,  cheery 
person  take  his  place.  It  might  happen  that 
number  two  would  affect  number  one  favor- 
ably.     This    would    depend    on    the    greater 


98     HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

strength  of  the  two  influences.  We  are  all 
"  wireless  telegraphy  "  transmitters  and  re- 
ceivers, more  or  less  in  order  or  out  of  or- 
der. 

The  reader  may  dislike  this  practical  view  of 
matters,  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual.  It  was 
a  troublesome  problem  to  another  until  he  saw 
that  "  The  truth  shall  make  you  free."  Ac- 
cept scientific  results  as  God  knowledge;  use 
it  for  the  highest  development  of  all,  whether 
it  is  what  we  believed  when  younger  or  did  not 
believe.  "  Be  ye  transformed  by  the  renew- 
ing of  your  minds.' '  "  Be  able  to  give  a  rea- 
son for  the  hope  that  is  in  you.,,  "  God  is  our 
refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in 
trouble. ' ' 

A  receptive  person  by  suggestion  or  hyp- 
notization  may  have  an  inflammation  come  to 
a  certain  place  on  his  body,  or,  having  one,  it 
will  disappear.  Here  is  vibratory  mind  power 
over  its  body-building,  through  the  sympathetic 
nerve  system,  using  the  blood  which  is  made 
out  of  what  one  breathes  and  eats. 

A  person  dreams  that  in  an  accident  he  is 


THE   NEEVE   SYSTEM  99 

bruised.  He  awakes  from  his  nightmare  and 
finds  he  is  bruised.  One  awakes  stiffened  with 
a  cold,  having  gone  to  bed  feeling  well.  The 
subjective,  building,  chemic  mind  works  night 
and  day  just  as  it  feels,  and  it  feels  as  its  pre- 
vious education  permits  it  to  feel.  A  nightmare 
means  that  there  have  been  day-mares,  too. 
We  are  all  affecting  ourselves  in  similar  ways, 
in  varying  degrees,  whether  we  know  it  or 
believe  it. 

Thought  must  press  out  or  express  itself, 
phenomenize  poorly  or  well.  Let  us  awake  to 
the  law  that  we  cannot  serve  two  masters,  God 
and  Mammon.  Night  thoughts  in  general  fol- 
low or  represent  day  thoughts. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  the  ways  of 
transference  have  opened  up  from  slower  to 
faster,  lower  to  higher.  Long  time  ago  one 
had  to  go  in  person  to  his  business  if  he  would 
succeed.  Later  he  sent  a  representative,  then 
a  letter,  then  a  telegram,  a  telephone,  a  wire- 
less message,  finally  a  mind  despatch  is  here. 
The  future  will  give  us  undreamed-of  power 
through  vibratory  law  and  its  science  and  art. 


100  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Scientific  prayer,  universal  communication  will 
be  the  culmination. 

How  thought  was  vibrated,  phenomenized, 
expressed,  when  the  Eternal  felt :  l '  Let  there 
be  light  and  there  was  light."  In  wondrous 
ways,  but  lesser,  we  see  the  same  among  men : 
Let  there  be  an  ocean  cable,  and  there  was  an 
ocean  cable;  let  there  be  an  Alpine  tunnel,  a 
subway,  and  they  were.  Electric  light  and  mes- 
sages are  bidden  and  they  come.  Soon  it  shall 
be :  Let  there  be  peace,  harmony,  health  omni- 
present. Let  us  awake  to  the  consciousness  of 
infinite,  loving  law,  God,  and  use  it  and  obey 
him.  "  So  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth 
out  of  my  mouth ;  it  shall  not  return  unto  me 
void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please, 
and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I 
send  it." 

A  finger-nail  is  made  out  of  what  we  eat  and 
breathe,  by  the  chemist,  subjective  mind.  It 
depends  on  the  nature  of  that  mind  whether 
it  will  be  a  good  finger-nail  or  a  bad  one.  All 
the  chemical  stages  the  food  and  oxygen  go 


THE   NERVE   SYSTEM  101 

through  in  order  to  become  nail  are  better  or 
worse,  as  the  builder  is  better  or  worse. 

Stigmata  are  built  into  the  physical  by  strong 
mind  impression.  Our  strongest  athlete  is  hyp- 
notized to  lift  a  fifty-pound  dumb-bell;  a  five- 
hundred-pound  dumb-bell  is  there.  He  tosses 
up  easily  the  supposed  fifty  pounds.  He  is 
given  fifty  pounds  to  lift.  He  is  hypnotized  to 
lift  it  as  five  hundred  pounds.  With  great 
difficulty  he  poorly  succeeds.  He  had  large 
muscle,  but  that  did  not  count  as  compared  with 
the  mind  that  uses  the  nerve  and  muscle. 

Natives  of  India,  Japan,  and  the  South  Sea 
Islands  walk  with  bare  feet  for  some  rods  over 
white-hot  stones,  and  burning  does  not  take 
place.  The  chemistry  within  overrides  the 
chemistry  without. 

A  lady  at  twenty-one  years  of  age  suddenly 
changes  from  an  ill  and  despondent  person 
from  birth  into  a  well  and  glad  condition.  The 
cause  of  this  need  not  be  dwelt  upon.  Whether 
it  was  obsession  or  lack  of  unification  of  mind 
on  its  way,  in  the  race,  from  a  colonial  condi- 
tion, striving,  idealizing  for  unity,  or  some- 


102  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF  -  CONTROL 

thing  else,  it  proves  the  law  of  vibration, 
thought  to  be  almighty.  The  mentality 
changed,  the  physicality  changed. 

The  reader  knows  how  a  noted  physician 
here  and  there  occasionally  brings  back  the 
mind  that  has  left  or  is  leaving  the  body,  by 
vibrating  grandly  on  the  departing  soul.  By 
commanding,  encouraging,  holding  out  duty, 
possibility,  power  to  the  departing  one,  the  soul 
is  vibrated  into  decision,  strength,  desire,  and 
it  returns,  assumes  body  control  and  lives  here. 

These  dying  times  are  the  most  impression- 
able times  for  good  or  bad  results.  What  mis- 
takes some  mothers,  fathers,  relatives,  friends 
make  when  they  feel  sad,  weep,  pity,  despond, 
give  up  all  hope  at  death-bedsides.  They  may 
cause  the  death  of  the  sick  ones.  The  physi- 
cian may  be  the  only  one  who  is  poised,  but 
he  is  only  one  good  influence  among  many  bad 
ones.  Such  times  should  especially  be  times 
of  hope,  cheer,  poise,  grandeur,  love,  in  voice, 
look,  gesture,  carriage,  mind.  A  mother  can 
save  her  child  or  cause  its  death. 

The  custom  some  so-called  savage  or  heathen 


THE  'NEKVE   SYSTEM  103 

nations  have  of  making  certain  noises  to  drive 
away  the  approaching  death  spirit  often  suc- 
ceeds in  restoring  the  sick.  We  are  civilized, 
but  we  are  worse  off  than  the  savages,  surely, 
in  some  respects. 

Cancer  is  a  certain  abnormal  chemic-build- 
ing  of  breath  and  food  into  tissue.  If  all  the 
mind,  the  subjective,  building  mind  can  be  made 
whole,  it  can  immediately  build  whole  tissue  out 
of  food  and  oxygen,  and  the  cancer  ceases  to 
be  cancer.  Leprosy  has  disappeared  by  the 
same  process.  It  is,  so  far  as  the  physical  is 
concerned,  poor,  deficient  chemistry  work  in 
the  body's  laboratories.  If  the  breathing  is 
adequate,  the  food  efficient,  and  the  mind, 
the  builder,  is  conscious  of  its  God-given  power, 
results  equally  grand  in  tissue-building  must 
follow.  The  body  is  a  great  chemical  and  elec- 
trical laboratory  (millions  of  them)  wherein 
products  of  many  kinds  are  being  elaborated 
from  what  is  eaten  and  breathed.  Saliva, 
mucus,  bile,  the  gastric,  pancreatic,  intestinal 
juices,  various  salts,  acids,  bases,  various  anal- 
yses and  syntheses  of  all  these  to  get  just  the 


104   HEALTH  THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

right  ingredient  for  each  tissue,  each  organ, 
each  function,  are  some  of  the  working  results 
of  the  subjective  mind  in  the  body  by  which 
body-building  takes  place. 

When  the  factors,  thinking,  breathing,  eating, 
are  normal,  the  chemistry  is  normal,  but 
weaken  the  first  or  any  one  of  them  and  you 
weaken  all  the  results. 

To  think  health,  wholeness,  wholesomeness, 
holiness,  is  to  get  it,  keep  it,  give  it  to  mind 
and  body,  and  to  radiate  it  everywhere.  Love 
in  the  life  best  augments  the  vital  functions. 
To  think  disease,  unease,  weakness,  is  to  in- 
duce it  or  increase  it  in  mind  and  body,  and 
to  have  a  weakening  influence  everywhere. 
Hatred  in  the  life  is  the  greatest  injurer  of 
the  vital  functions. 

All  this  comes  about  by  the  law  of  the  effect 
of  the  emotions  on  the  body  through  the  sym- 
pathetic nerve  system,  building  the  body  as 
the  emotions  demand,  positively,  optimistic- 
ally, rightly  or  negatively,  pessimistically, 
wrongly.  The  moral  law  is  in  the  very  cell- 
building  of  our  bodies.     One's  finger-nail  is 


THE    NEKVE   SYSTEM  105 

moral  or  immoral.  The  universe  is  moral. 
Good  thinking  gives  good  products,  phenome- 
nizes,  expresses  well;  bad  thinking  gives  bad 
products,  phenomenizes,  expresses  badly. 

It  would  be  a  topsy-turvy,  impossible  uni- 
verse otherwise.  If  sad  thinking  produced  the 
best  results,  and  glad  thinking  produced  the 
worst  results,  —  but  then  sadness  would  be 
gladness,  and  gladness  sadness.  There  could 
be  no  working  out  a  salvation  on  such  a  criss- 
cross plan. 

It  is  not  what  we  theorize  on,  and  admire, 
and  approve  of  as  having  happened  in  the  past 
by  this  or  that  person,  nor  is  it  what  we  expect 
may  happen  in  the  future,  but  it  is  what  we 
are  accomplishing  now  in  our  own  time  and 
life  of  good  in  every  direction  that  works  out 
individual  and  universal  salvation,  health  from 
man's  point  of  view,  to  the  universe. 

"  It  matters  not  how  strait  the  gate, 

How  charged  with  punishment  the  scroU ; 
I  am  master  of  my  fate, 
I  am  captain  of  my  soul." 


CHAPTER  V 

INHIBITION  —  HOW      HABITS,      CUSTOMS,      BELIEFS, 
OPINIONS,   ACTS,    MAY   PRODUCE   HEALTH 

When  a  certain  thought  is  inhibited,  it  is 
dismissed  from  the  mind,  or  kept  out  of  it. 
Since  there  are  emotional  thoughts  of  such  a 
character  that  they  would  wreck  one  if  he  in- 
dulged in  them,  it  is  wise,  if  he  wishes  to  win 
salvation,  to  learn,  as  a  habit,  to  inhibit. 
"  Sow  a  thought  and  reap  a  tendency,  sow  a 
tendency  and  reap  a  habit,  sow  a  habit  and  reap 
a  character,  sow  a  character  and  reap  an  eter- 
nity,' '  right  or  wrong. 

To  train  our  subjective  mind  well,  we  must 
train  our  objective  mind  well,  thus  "  pressing 
the  button,' '  the  eternal  laws  will  do  the  rest 
and  the  best.  Right  thinking  consumes  oxygen, 
food,  blood,  protoplasm,  but  wrong  thinking 
consumes  much  more;    the  laws  of  chemical 

106 


INHIBITION  107 

and  electrical  combustion  distinguish  between 
good  and  bad.  The  burden  of  this  law  is  light 
when  the  thoughts  are  right.  If  we  change  this 
energy  from  a  wrong  use  to  a  right  use,  we 
transmute,  save  ourselves.  We  overcome  evil 
with  good,  or  bring  evil  over  to  good. 

When  one  listens  to  laughter,  he  feels  better. 
If  he  hears,  sees,  writes,  or  speaks  the  word, 
laughter,  he  feels  better  in  some  particular, 
though  it  may  be  only  a  little.  This  comes 
about  by  the  "  law  of  the  association  of  ideas. " 
In  the  human  race  the  sound  of  laughter  is 
woven  into  gladness.  To  hear  laughter  or 
to  laugh  mechanically,  even,  will  bring  glad- 
ness. Mental  laughter  will  arouse  physical 
laughter,  physical  laughter  will  arouse  mental 
laughter.  If  you  hear  the  cry  of  a  suffering 
babe,  you  immediately  feel  bad.  Seeing  the 
word,  speaking,  writing  it,  exerts  some  bad 
effect  by  the  ' '  law  of  the  association  of  ideas. ' ' 
If  one  has  learned  to  inhibit  strongly  and  im- 
mediately, of  course  the  bad  effect  is  slight. 
Hearing  or  seeing  the  word  nausea  causes  sick- 
ness in  some  persons.    The  word,  home,  if  it 


108  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

has  pleasant  memories,  is  healthful  even  to 
hear;  if  unpleasant  memories  are  associated 
with  it,  then  its  sound  is  unhealthful,  unless 
inhibition  immediately  takes  place,  or  unless 
an  intellective  state  of  mind  is  assumed.  Cer- 
tain scenes  by  association  may  make  us  ill  or 
better.  Tones  of  voice  of  those  loved  or  feared 
affect  one  quite  differently. 

One  falls  from  a  staging  or  cliff  by  being 
unable  to  inhibit  the  thought  or  imaging  the 
falling,  which  thought  incipiently  at  least  com- 
pels his  muscles  to  go  through  the  acts  that 
take  place  when  one  does  fall.  Mind  immedi- 
ately placed  on  some  other  subject  is  the  only 
safe  thing  to  do  then. 

To  look  upon  some  thick,  warm  blankets  in 
a  store  on  a  warm  day  in  August  does  not 
arouse  as  healthful  a  state  of  mind  as  to  see 
those  same  blankets  on  a  cold  day  in  December. 
A  bargain  day  for  blankets  in  August  might 
lessen  the  negative  effect.  Imitating,  yawning, 
gaping,  hustle,  hurry,  advertising  cause  many 
to  do  as  others  do  or  wish,  largely  by  this 
"  association  of  ideas  "  law.    Keep  an  adver- 


INHIBITION  109 

tisement  before  the  people  long  enough,  often 
enough,  and  many  who  at  first  cannot  endure 
to  look  at  it,  in  time  go  and  purchase.  With 
all  our  experiences  of  the  ^ve  special  senses, 
seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting,  touching, 
we  are  much  bound  by  this  law. 

A  gentleman  has  the  stuttering  habit.  He 
tries  to  inhibit  the  consciousness  of  it.  He 
hears  his  father's  voice  as  he  did  when  a  boy: 
"  Don't  stutter;  stop  it."  The  harsh  tone  is  in 
it,  and  he  not  only  stutters,  but  sets  his  jaw 
as  he  did  when  young.  "  The  father  though 
dead  yet  speaketh."  All  sounds,  scenes,  odors, 
taste,  touch  sensations,  by  the  association  of 
ideas  with  the  experiences  brought  about  in  this 
life  or  inherited,  arouse  in  the  mind  associated 
memories  that  affect  favorably  or  unfavor- 
ably the  breathing,  the  circulation  of  the  blood, 
its  purity,  the  magnetic  condition,  every  organ 
and  its  function,  every  cell  in  the  body,  so  that 
one's  health,  total  health,  threefold  develop- 
ment, physical,  mental,  and  spiritual,  will  be 
favorably  or  unfavorably  affected. 

The  person  who  learns  best  to  inhibit  the 


110    HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

harmful  thoughts  and  associations,  and  to  wel- 
come and  retain  the  helpful  ways  of  thinking 
and  allied  memories,  and  makes  cheerfulness, 
courage,  peace,  harmony  a  glad  habit,  is  of 
more  use  to  the  world  and  himself,  lives  a 
larger  life,  a  longer  life  than  he  could  having 
no  such  habit  of  inhibition. 

If  time  did  not  weaken  somewhat  the  asso- 
ciative power  of  words,  health  would  be  almost 
normal  in  a  certain  city  in  New  England  whose 
name  and  many  of  its  street  names  all  have 
beautiful,  hopeful,  harmonious  associations. 
Its  citizens  can  feel  that  they  are  in  the  ' '  hands 
of  Providence,' '  and  that  in  their  names  of  the 
streets  they  are  in  the  midst  of  Peace,  Plenty, 
Benevolence,  Friendship,  Eden,  Joy,  Hope, 
Benefit,  Patience,  Union,  that  a  Gay,  Pleasant, 
Friend  is  always  near,  even  an  Angel  (Angell) 
and  a  St.  John. 

How  different  the  associations  for  one  resid- 
ing in  a  Tombstone,  a  Waterloo,  a  Hurricane, 
a  Battle  Creek,  an  Ashville,  a  Cripple  Creek, 
or  in  a  "  Home  for  Incurables/ '  One  may  say 
that  these  results  are  so  small  that  they  are 


INHIBITION  111 

not  worth  considering,  but  this  cannot  be  so. 
During  twenty-four  hours  the  few  seconds  here, 
minutes  there,  of  negative  thinking  and  acting 
amount  to  much  loss  of  oxygen,  generating 
much  waste  and  toxin  in  the  blood,  bringing 
about  irregular  circulation,  bacterial  increase, 
negative  electric  condition,  disease,  weakness, 
and  maybe  death.  The  law  is  law  in  little, 
law  in  much.  No  one  should  dread  this  prin- 
ciple of  absolute  cause  and  effect.  It  works 
just  as  mightily  for  good  results  as  for  bad. 
Because  we  know  a  hot  stove  will  burn  us  is 
not  a  reason  why  we  should  dread  or  fear  it. 
We  use  forethought,  not  fear-thought.  All  law 
works  in  two  directions.  A  thermometer  ten 
degrees  below  zero  indicates  freezing  for  us; 
212  above,  boiling  for  us.  One  law  of  vibration, 
innocent  but  harmful  or  helpful,  according  to 
our  relation  to  it.  This  practical  omnipresent 
law  of  good  results  and  bad  results  flowing 
from  the  emotions  can  be  as  effectual  for  hu- 
manity and  more  effectual  on  account  of  its 
omnipresence  than  Lazarus 's  request  of  Abra- 
ham, —  ' '  but  if  some  one  would  go  to  them 


112   HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

from  the  dead,  they  would  change  their  minds. '  ' 
The  reaction  of  a  depleted  negative  body  on 
the  mind  is  to  be  avoided,  as  well  as  the  weak 
mind's  action  on  it,  if  we  desire,  seek  whole- 
ness, success. 

There  are  at  least  two  ways  of  inhibiting 
wrong  thinking  to  free  ourselves  from  injuri- 
ous results.  One  way  is  inhibition  by  negation 
or  repression.  A  person  discovers  that  sadness 
is  an  unwise  state  of  mind,  and  he  declares: 
"  I  will  not  be  sad."  "  I  am  not  sad."  This 
is  a  denial,  a  negation,  a  repression  with  the 
mind  much  on  sadness,  much  affected  by  the 
associative  power  of  the  word  sad.  He  incipi- 
ently,  at  least,  goes  through  the  mental  and 
physical  experiences  of  some  former  sadness; 
it  works  mightily  subconsciously.  The  whole 
statement  is  negative,  and  in  a  way  the  general 
declaration  loses  much  of  its  good  effect  by  the 
antagonistic  word  sad.  The  declarer  almost 
compels  himself  to  dwell  on  the  thought  he 
wishes  to  put  away  from  him.  There  is  a  strug- 
gle between  the  whole  and  its  parts.  A  habit 
of  conversing  and  thinking  in  this  manner  does 


INHIBITION  113 

affect  badly  or  less  kindly  the  whole  organism, 
in  the  five  or  more  ways  that  have  been  ex- 
plained. Bodily  reaction  here  is  also  harmful 
on  the  mind,  or  at  least  it  cannot  be  of  much 
assistance.  Many  negative  indulgences  during 
the  day  and  dreams  during  the  night  may  make 
the  difference  between  buoyancy  and  discour- 
agement, health  and  non-health.  The  law  does 
not  excuse.  "  God  is  the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day, and  forever.' ' 

The  intention  in  these  denials,  negations,  re- 
pressions is  good,  and  some  helpful  results  may 
follow,  but  there  is  a  better  way  of  inhibiting, 
viz.,  inhibition  by  substitution.  Under  similar 
circumstances  the  person  declares,  "  I  will  be 
cheerful,  I  am  cheerful."  This  is  an  affirma- 
tion, a  substitution.  The  whole  statement  and 
the  word  cheerful  strengthen  each  other.  The 
associative  memories  of  the  word  cheerful  put 
one  into  the  states  of  mind  and  body  he  was 
in  in  some  former  experience  while  cheerful. 
There  may  be  a  hint  in  the  mind  that  cheerful 
has  an  opposite,  sad,  but  the  psychological  dif- 
ference between  inhibition  by  negation  and  in- 


114   HEALTH   THKOUGH  SELF-CONTROL 

hibition  by  substitution  as  a  habit  of  life  is  so 
great  that  it  may  make  the  difference  of  a  long, 
wholesome  life  and  a  short,  unwholesome  life. 

The  thought  the  reverse  of  the  one  we  wish 
to  get  rid  of  is  dwelt  on.  There  is  no  dispute, 
argument,  there  is  agreement,  peace.  The  sub- 
stitution may  be  any  helpful  thought  or  one 
the  opposite  of  the  troublesome  one,  as  sub- 
stituting gladness  for  sadness,  and  so  on.  Com- 
pare: "  There  is  no  sin,  there  is  no  sickness, 
there  is  no  death  "  with  "  All  is  good,  all  is 
health,  all  is  life."  Also,  "  I  love  sincerity  " 
with  "  I  hate  insincerity;  and,  "  Looking  up 
at  the  stars  I  was  ashamed  of  my  impurity  " 
with  * '  Looking  up  at  the  stars  I  was  glad  to  be 
pure." 

It  is  very  healthful  to  form  a  habit  of  speak- 
ing and  thinking  in  positively  worded  sentences 
wherever  possible,  yet  the  writer  is  here  using 
much  negative  language.  It  seems  necessary 
to  do  so  in  explaining  laws.  There  are  some- 
times situations  that  cannot  be  met  by  substi- 
tution, at  least  in  form. 

It  is  well  to  think  on  what  we  wish  to  be 


INHIBITION  115 

and  do,  or  wish  others  to  be  and  do,  and  not 
on  what  we  do  not  wish  to  be  and  do,  or  wish 
others  not  to  be  and  do.  Here  is  the  ladder  of 
betterment :  I  am  sad,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  sad, 
I  am  not  sad,  I  wish  to  be  cheerful,  I  am  cheer- 
ful. These  good  or  bad  effects  upon  ourselves, 
from  different  habits  of  inhibiting  harmful 
thoughts  and  conversation,  are  the  least  part 
of  the  results.  Think  how  we  can  make  others 
sick  or  well  by  our  negative  or  positive,  our 
repressing  or  substitutional  thought  and  talk 
habits. 

Let  us  take  a  little  survey  of  the  conversa- 
tion, the  talk,  the  speech  in  music,  on  the  stage, 
at  home,  in  church,  of  the  art  works  on  the 
walls,  the  books  we  read,  the  schools  we  attend, 
of  the  tones  of  voice  used,  the  looks,  gestures, 
acts  performed,  and  note  the  negativity,  pessi- 
mism, repression,  and  the  positivity,  optimism, 
substitution  of  it  all,  to  see  its  effects  on  our 
welfare,  others'  welfare,  the  health  of  all,  the 
wholeness  of  all,  that  we  may  get  an  uplift  into 
a  fuller,  more  successful  life  for  one  and  all. 

Conversation  and  all  expression  are  regulated 


116  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

by  the  emotions  as  to  negation  and  substitution 
qualities.  Conversation  in  the  widest  sense 
affects  the  health  just  as  the  emotion  does  that 
underlies  it,  the  health  of  the  performer  and  the 
hearers. 

All  are  teachers  and  all  are  taught,  whether 
in  the  home,  in  the  school,  in  the  business  world, 
or  elsewhere.  All  are  influencing  all  and  being 
influenced  by  all  for  better  or  for  worse.  The 
writer's  varied  experience  in  the  school  field 
leads  him  to  survey  that  department  to  present 
some  helpful  results.  He  has  spent  all  his  life, 
in  a  way,  in  his  home  or  the  homes  of  others, 
so  he  must  look  there,  too,  for  good  lessons. 

The  observations  made  on  the  schools  apply 
equally  well  to  the  homes,  the  parents,  the  busi- 
ness managers,  employers,  and  to  everybody  in 
fact.  The  unwise  teacher  in  the  schoolroom 
with  her  pupils  negates  and  represses  them 
by  her  ways  and  methods,  her  disposition. 
She  inhibits  with  herself  and  with  her  pupils, 
but  not  in  the  better  way.  She  means  well, 
thinks,  if  she  thinks,  that  her  way  is  the  only 
way  to  educate  and  develop  them. 


INHIBITION  117 

The  wise  teacher  inhibits  with  herself  and 
hence  with  her  pupils  by  substitution.  The 
negating  pessimistic  teacher  discourages,  nags, 
scolds,  finds  fault.  The  substitutional,  positive, 
optimistic  teacher  encourages,  suggests,  judi- 
ciously praises,  commends. 

A  fire-engine  and  its  accompaniments  go  by 
the  schoolroom  of  the  negative  teacher.  The 
pupils  all  look  out  the  window.  The  teacher 
loudly  commands  them:  "  Don't  look  out  of  the 
window.  Didn  't  you  ever  see  an  engine  before  ? 
Look  at  your  books.  Why  don't  you  study? 
You  will  never  be  promoted,  never  will  reach 
the  high  school.  I  am  ashamed  of  you.  What 
makes  you  act  so?  Haven't  I  told  you  time 
and  again  not  to  look  out  the  window?  "  The 
children  sullenly  turn  to  their  books  with  dulled 
mind,  sinking  solar  plexus,  depressed  breath- 
ing, and  all  that  goes  with  these. 

A  fire-engine  passes  the  room  of  the  opti- 
mistic teacher.  The  pupils  would  not  desire 
to  look  out  the  window,  but  let  us  suppose  that 
they  will  look  out.  The  wise  teacher  simply 
makes  the  class  work  so  attractive  by  the  reci- 


118  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

tation,  board  work,  apt  anecdote,  that  soon  all 
are  deeply  interested  in  their  work,  not  even 
realizing  they  have  been  drawn  away  from  or 
prevented  from  looking  at  the  engine.  They 
are  happy,  breathing  well,  minds  clear,  and  all 
the  good  results  that  follow  are  theirs.  Think 
how  differently  the  pupils  feel  toward  the  one 
teacher  and  the  other.  It  is  a  difference  of  a 
health  and  a  non-health  tendency.  How  aptly 
a  philosopher  has  written  that  he  cared  not 
so  much  what  his  child  studied  as  under  whom 
he  studied.  The  presence  of  the  depressing 
teacher  in  one  room  tends  to  prevent  the  pupil 
from  getting  promotion  to  the  next  grade  and 
high  school  by  the  weakening  effect  that  such 
treatment  has  on  the  body  and  mentality  of 
the  student ;  while  the  strengthening  effect  that 
the  poised  teacher  in  the  other  room  has  on 
the  mentality  of  her  pupils  ensures  their  pro- 
motion. In  the  latter  case  energy  is  success- 
fully used,  in  the  other  the  same  energy  or  more 
is  misused.  One  teacher  is  always  solemn, 
keen-eyed,  watching,  looking  for  discipline,  the 
other  is  ever  cheerful,  interesting,  interested, 


INHIBITION  119 

courageous,  inspiring.  The  pupils  are  driven 
by  one,  attracted  by  the  other.  During  calis- 
thenics, in  one  room  is  gloom,  a  sternness,  a 
don't  -  dare  -  to  -  make  -  a  -  mistake,  stay  - 
after-school  look;  in  the  other  room  gladness, 
loving  activity. 

One  says,  "  Don't  walk  so  noisily,"  the  other, 
"  Walk  softly,"  or  no  words  are  used,  for  ex- 
ample in  this  room  is  stronger  than  precept. 
Here  are  a  number  of  directions  heard  in  the 
schoolroom,  negatively  and  positively  put,  but 
in  the  peaceful,  happy  rooms  neither  form 
would  be  heard,  as  l '  The  letter  killeth,  but  the 
spirit  maketh  alive  "  reigns  there.  The  tones 
of  the  teachers'  voices  will  so  differ  that  one 
wounds,  the  other  heals,  strengthens : 

Do  not  be  a  bad  boy. 

Be  a  good  boy. 

Do  not  be  late  to  school. 

Be  on  time. 

Don't  tell  a  falsehood. 

Tell  the  truth. 

Don't  get  your  feet  wet. 

Keep  your  feet  dry. 


120  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

Don't  walk  home  in  the  rain. 

Eide  to-day. 

Don't  forget  my  errand. 

Remember  my  errand. 

Don't  fail  as  usual  in  your  examination  to- 
day. 

Now,  make  a  success  of  it. 

"  Keep  your  feet  dry  "  in  the  home  and 
the  school  should  be  associated  with  health, 
strength,  happiness.  All  the  practical^  physi- 
ology needed  can  be  taught  in  this  way.  One 
experience  shows  the  boy  that  wet  feet  in  the 
wrong  way,  at  the  wrong  time,  do  not  tend  to 
make  him  happier  or  stronger.  Pores,  nerves, 
circulation,  and  how  the  bad  effects  come  about, 
and  hence  that  there  is  a  wrong  way  and  a  right 
way  to  get  the  feet  wet,  become  known  by  re- 
sults. Allow  him,  encourage  him  to  explore 
the  water  with  rubber  boots  on  and  in  undress 
in  suitable  weather.  If  a  boy  is  allowed  to  be 
natural,  to  know  why  dry  feet  in  some  cases 
are  better  than  wet  ones,  he  will  need  less  and 
less  teaching,  he  will  be  his  own  reasoner,  di- 
rector, teacher. 


INHIBITION  121 

Just  as  a  business  man  would  not  knowingly 
do  an  act  to  make  himself  worse  off,  so  can  chil- 
dren be  educated  to  prefer  the  way  that  is  bet- 
ter for  them,  but  "  Do  not  get  your  feet  wet, 
if  you  do  I'll  punish  you."  "  Why  can't  I  get 
my  feet  wet,  mamma?  "  "  Because  I  tell  you 
not  to,"  is  not  educative  nor  healthful,  but  un- 
educative  and  unhealthful.  It  may  seem  to  be 
a  short  cut  in  duty  and  time.  In  the  same  way 
the  young  can  be  led  to  see  that  to  tell  the  truth 
is  better  for  their  health  and  happiness  than 
to  tell  a  falsehood.  All  the  physiology  and 
psychology  needed  could  be  interestingly  ac- 
quired while  they  were  experimenting.  Show 
a  boy  in  loveliness  how  falsehood,  then  shyness, 
slyness,  tenseness,  reduce  his  strength,  his  prog- 
ress, his  happiness,  and  he  will  work  out  his 
own  salvation.  His  reason  in  these  things  is 
neglected  till  late  in  life,  then  he  is  at  a  great 
disadvantage.  Habits  are  set.  We  can  early 
lay  the  foundation  for  right  and  wrong  ever 
associated  with  good  and  bad  results,  and  rea- 
sonable men  in  all  things  will  be  the  result,  in 
business,  in  society,  in  religion.     Health  will 


122   HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

follow,  threefold,  physical,  mental,  and  spir- 
itual. 

The  writer  knows  some  teachers  who  have 
saved  boys  by  getting  them  to  realize  that  tell- 
ing falsehoods  made  them  really  less  happy, 
and  thus  their  strength  and  growth  were  badly 
affected,  but  they  first  made  them  realize  how 
much  better  they  felt  and  were  by  being  always 
truthful.  Falsehood  is  wrong  because  all  re- 
sults of  it  are  really  less  desirable,  health 
included;  truth-telling  is  right  because  all  re- 
sults of  it  are  more  desirable,  including  health. 
This  is  provable  to  the  young,  by  the  young. 
The  universe  is  reasonable,  moral  on  just 
grounds.  Proving  these  things  would  bring  in 
mind  study,  nerve  system,  circulation  of  the 
blood,  their  relations  to  each  other,  the  results 
of  their  relations,  a  natural  education,  unfold- 
ing into  larger,  more  reasonable,  and  more 
loving  conceptions  of  God. 

It  is  remembered  how  different  the  results 
were,  as  compared  in  two  different  school- 
rooms, one  presided  over  by  a  negative  teacher, 
the  other  by  a  positive  teacher.     The  same 


INHIBITION  123 

boys  and  girls  who  under  one  teacher  one  year 
were  very  polite,  fond  of  school  work,  out  little 
on  account  of  illness,  well  promoted,  bright, 
happy,  had  no  friction;  the  next  year  in  an- 
other room,  under  a  negative  teacher,  were 
rude,  disliked  school  work,  were  absent  much 
from  school  on  account  of  illness,  poorly  pro- 
moted, had  friction,  were  dull,  sad.  Parents 
used  to  wonder  why  their  children  showed  such 
marked  difference  during  two  years.  Now  add 
the  impure  air  of  the  schoolroom  to  the  effect 
a  repressing  teacher  thus  has  on  her  pupils  by 
her  arousal  of  negative  emotions  in  her  chil- 
dren, which  emotions  injure  their  health  in  so 
many  ways,  threefold,  through  the  subjective 
mind  and  the  sympathetic  nerve  system,  —  and 
you  have  partly  at  least  the  cause  why  diseases 
like  scarlet  fever  develop  in  some  schools.  It 
is  remembered  how  the  school  diseases  devel- 
oped more  in  the  negative  teachers '  rooms  than 
in  the  positive  teachers'  rooms.  The  negative 
teacher  was  oftener  absent  from  school  than  the 
positive  teacher  on  account  of  colds  and  the 
like. 


124  HEALTH   THEOUGH  SELF-CONTROL 

Think  of  the  effect  a  loving,  inspiring  teacher 
has  on  the  health  of  her  pupils,  through  these 
emotional  laws,  during  ^ve  or  six  hours  per 
day  of  happiness  instead  of  discouragement 
and  dislike.    Health  is  thus  invited. 

Teachers  should  be  chosen  for  their  poise, 
their  love  for  boys  and  girls,  for  their  investi- 
gating spirit.  In  which  teacher's  room  is  a 
ferule  found?  All  this  applies  to  parents, 
every  one  who  lives,  associates  with  another. 

Seven  hundred  forty-seven  children  in  Ger- 
many committed  suicide  during  fourteen  years, 
just  before  the  autumn  school  openings.  Why? 
The  hard,  unadapted  studies,  poor  air,  harsh, 
negative  teachers,  corporal  punishment  in 
school  and  at  home  duplicated,  contrasted  with 
the  freedom,  happiness,  good  air  of  the  vaca- 
tion, led  them  to  prefer  to  die.  Doubtless  none 
of  these  children  were  much  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  poised,  substitutionary  inhibiting 
teachers. 

Statistics  of  the  schools  in  cities  and  towns 
in  our  own  vicinity  often  show  that  during 
May  and  June  more  diseases  develop  than  dur- 


INHIBITION  125 

ing  the  July  and  August  vacation,  when  free- 
dom, good  air,  no  fear,  permit  good  breathing 
and  all  that  is  healthful,  so  that  the  diseases 
disappear,  but  in  September,  housed  in  school- 
rooms and  all  that  may  go  with  that,  develop 
disease  in  a  very  noticeable  way. 

There  are  many  cases  of  personal  observa- 
tions of  the  truth  of  these  dire  effects  of  wrong 
emotional  and  mental  atmosphere. 

A  mother  relates  that  one  year  her  daugh- 
ter dreaded  school,  disliked  her  teacher,  learned 
indifferently,  enjoyed  her  home  but  little,  had 
little  appetite,  much  indigestion,  headaches. 
Going  into  another  schoolroom  the  next  year 
under  a  bright,  cheerful,  loving  teacher,  the 
daughter  immediately  loved  her  school,  did  bet- 
ter work,  was  happy  at  home,  well.  Recently 
in  a  near-by  large  city  a  boy  was  not  promoted 
at  mid-year  with  his  class.  He  was  ridiculed 
for  his  inefficiency,  and  almost  immediately 
fell  off  his  seat,  dead.  The  mind  shock  from 
the  solar  plexus  to  the  heart,  in  the  heart 
plexus,  paralyzed,  broke  its  rhythm,  stopped 
its  beating. 


126  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

It  is  said  that  the  good  die  young.  This  can- 
not be  true.  The  emotional  die  young,  those 
who  cry  easily,  laugh  easily,  fret  easily,  have 
their  feelings  hurt  easily,  weaken  and  die.  The 
poised,  the  steady,  the  uniformly  cheerful,  can- 
not help  but  live  longer.  Blessed  is  the  one 
who  has  learned  (or  was  so  born)  not  to  be 
cast  down,  not  to  feel  bad  at  the  solar  plexus, 
for  he  has  all  the  elements  of  strength  and  life. 

How  often  a  child's  death  is  attributed  to 
bad  water,  bad  food,  when  the  underlying  cause 
is  the  atmosphere  of  the  home,  not  the  air  only. 
If  parents  could  be  substitutional,  positive,  op- 
timistic, uniformly  hopeful,  courageous,  sin- 
cere, pure  with  the  child,  there  would  be  more 
life  and  longer  life,  not  only  with  the  children 
but  with  the  parents.  "  Example  is  stronger 
than  precept.' '  If  a  parent  wishes  to  be  able 
to  bring  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go, 
he  must  go  that  way  himself  all  the  time,  and 
when  both  are  old  they  will  not  depart  from 
that  way. 

Demanding  politeness,  perfection  from  chil- 
dren and  others,  and  neither  showing  nor  liv- 


INHIBITION  127 

ing  them,  is  double  failure.  How  often  it  hap- 
pens that  a  parent,  teacher,  guardian,  punishes 
one  under  his  charge  in  an  angry,  fretful,  re- 
vengeful way,  for  having  shown  these  same 
fretful,  angry  revengeful  tendencies.  This  is 
the  old  tit-for-tat  way  of  reform,  which  does 
not  reform.  It  is  not  the  "  overcome  evil  with 
good  "  method.  "  Agree  with  thine  adversary 
quickly,  while  thou  art  in  the  way  with  him ;  lest 
at  any  time  the  adversary  deliver  thee  to  the 
judge,  and  the  judge  deliver  thee  to  the  officer, 
and  thou  be  cast  into  prison.  Verily  I  say  unto 
thee,  thou  shalt  by  no  means  come  out  thence, 
till  thou  hast  paid  the  uttermost  farthing."  If 
this  were  the  key-note  of  society,  harmony  and 
health  would  increase.  Take  advantage  of  the 
child's  human  nature,  not  to  ruffle  it,  but  to 
smooth  it,  draw  forth  energy  to  be  used  for 
strength  of  body,  mind,  and  its  spiritual  devel- 
opment. The  "  adversary  "  is  the  oppositional 
nature  in  the  child.  To  oppose  it  with  a  like 
disposition  is  to  increase  it.  To  "  agree  "  with 
it  is  to  lessen  it.  While  with  the  child,  our 
refined  disposition  should  draw  forth  from  him 


128  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

approval,  trust,  attraction,  glad  obedience,  vir- 
tue. The  "  adversary  "  turns  the  oppositional, 
negative,  pessimistic  parent  to  the  judge,  the 
judge  to  the  officer,  then  to  prison.  The  oppo- 
sitional factor  has  been  so  powerful  that  all 
poise  and  love  are  lost,  the  "  better  nature  " 
is  imprisoned,  is  "useless.  The  prisoner  can 
only  escape  from  prison  by  transmuting  his 
energy,  by  overcoming  evil  with  good,  by  being 
lovingly  reasonable  with  child  and  all.  Every 
parent  who  demands  perfection  of  act  and 
thought  from  child,  demands  that  which  he 
himself  does  not  live.  We  can  at  least  be  sin- 
cere, and  not  pose  as  perfect.  It  would  help 
many  a  parent  if  the  child  were  wise  and  brave 
enough  to  say,  when  corrected  with  so  much 
assumed  exemplary  life,  "  Did  you  ever  do 
wrong,  papa  f  ' '  —  especially  helpful  if  the  par- 
ent would  receive  this  balancing  gladly,  and 
try  to  show  the  son  and  daughter  that  he  was 
sympathizing  with,  loving  them,  and  they  him, 
all  for  practical  natural  development.  Should 
a  parent  be  respected  by  a  son  because  he  is 
his  father,  or  because  he  is  so  wise,  just,  prac- 


INHIBITION  129 

tical,  that  the  son  cannot  do  otherwise  than 
respect  him?  To  demand  respect  is  to  lose  it, 
to  earn  it  is  godlike.  To  try  to  force  a  son 
to  respect  his  parent  is  to  prove  that  the  father 
has  not  shown  respect  to  the  son,  and  that  he 
has  not  lived  the  life  he  orders  his  son  to  live. 

The  tenseness  with  which  parents  and  teach- 
ers seem  to  think  they  mnst  act,  destroys  life, 
theirs  and  that  of  the  young.  Tenseness  in 
mind  is  tenseness  in  body  and  vice  versa.  This 
means  immediately  irregular  and  slight  blood 
circulation,  and  all  the  usual  bad  results  fol- 
lowing. 

A  father  was  busy  writing.  His  little  son 
was  near  by,  building  with  blocks.  He  was  with 
great  joy  scanning  his  finished  structure.  The 
father,  in  going  to  the  bookcase,  inadvertently 
with  his  foot  knocked  the  structure  down. 
"  Oh,  father!  "  cried  the  child  in  distress. 
"  Well,  what  do  you  have  those  rattletraps 
right  in  my  way  for?  Take  them  right  out  of 
here."  Later  the  mother  found  the  child,  si- 
lent, in  tears.  Afterward  in  his  architect  life 
he  could  never  look  at  a  finished  structure  with- 


130  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

out  reexperiencing  the  effect  of  his  father's 
careless  act  and  lack  of  sympathy.  Doubtless 
he  would  have  succeeded  much  better  as  an 
architect  and  in  other  ways  if  his  father  had 
been,  on  that  $nd  all  other  occasions,  a  perfect 
gentleman  to  the  son.  Arouse  these  depressing 
emotions  all  through  the  young  life,  and  you 
kill  the  growing  man  by  inches,  physically, 
mentally,  and  spiritually.  How  grandly  would 
the  father  have  helped  to  build  the  boy  if  he 
had  beautifully  excused  himself  to  his  son, 
cheerfully  promising  to  be  more  thoughtful 
next  time,  at  the  same  time  helping  the  child 
to  rebuild  even  a  better  structure.  This  would 
be  character-building  indeed! 

If  there  is  wisdom  in  scolding  a  child,  then 
it  is  a  sensible  performance  to  call  a  plant 
naughty,  disobedient,  when  it  will  not  blossom 
in  a  north  window  in  winter,  though  it  has  suf- 
ficient warmth,  moisture,  and  food.  The  child 
and  the  plant  might  both  say:  "  Treat  me  as 
my  nature  demands,  and  I  shall  love  to  obey 
and  blossom." 

Typhoid  fever  may  develop  with  bacteria 


INHIBITION  131 

taken  into  the  system  by  drinking  impure 
water.  One  son  dies,  the  other  son  is  not  even 
ill.  Both  drank  of  the  same  water.  One  son 
may  have  been  very  emotional,  not  a  favorite 
in  the  home,  easily  despondent,  and  jealous. 
Here  all  the  results  of  the  negative  emotions 
would  follow,  and  death  has  to  take  place.  The 
other  boy  may  have  been  less  emotional,  more 
favored  by  the  parents,  less  easily  upset  in 
his  mind,  pretty  uniformly  cheerful,  and  all 
the  benefits  of  the  positive  emotions  would  be 
at  his  service,  and  death  could  not  occur. 

To  see  how  much  greater  the  effect  the  emo- 
tions have  on  health  than  simply  some  impure 
air,  note  this:  A  school  building,  whose  ven- 
tilation was  condemned  by  the  State  inspector, 
was  reventilated  at  an  expense  of  eight  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  room  pronounced  at  the  in- 
spection to  have  the  best  draft,  ventilation,  in 
the  building  was  occupied  by  a  negative,  scold- 
ing teacher.  More  illness  occurred  during  the 
year  in  that  room  than  in  the  room  pronounced 
to  have  the  poorest  ventilation,  which  room  was 
presided  over  by  a  glad,  loving  teacher. 


132  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

It  is  wise  for  Boards  of  Health  to  do  all  pos- 
sible to  prevent  disease  in  the  schoolroom,  but 
the  most  powerful  causes  of  disease  are  not 
gotten  at.  Add  glad  teachers,  an  adaptive  cur- 
riculum, get  at  the  parental  atmosphere  for  op- 
timism. The  following  is  good  in  its  way,  but 
the  conscious  fear  and  the  subconscious,  offset 
much  of  its  good  effect. 

School  in  1950 

Teacher  (to  a  newly  arrived  pupil)  — 
"  Have  you  your  vaccination  certificate  with 
you?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

1 '  Have  you  been  inoculated  against  croup  I  ' ' 
"  Yes,  sir."  "  Have  you  been  vaccinated  with 
the  cholera  bacillus?  "  "  Yes,  sir."  "  Have 
you  a  written  certificate  that  you  have  been 
made  immune  against  whooping-cough,  measles, 
and  scarlatina?  "  "  Yes,  sir."  "  Have  you 
brought  your  own  drinking-vessel?  "  "  Yes, 
sir."  "  Will  you  promise  never  to  use  the 
sponge  and  slate-pencil  of  your  neighbor?  " 


INHIBITION  133 

"  Yes,  sir."  "  Are  you  willing  that  at  least 
once  every  week  all  your  books  be  thoroughly 
fumigated  with  sulphur,  and  your  clothes  be 
disinfected  with  mercuric  bichloride?  "  "  Yes, 
sir."  "  Very  well,  then;  as  you  possess  all 
the  necessary  protective  measures  prescribed 
by  our  modern  hygienic  requirements,  you  may 
mount  over  that  wire  enclosure  and  take  yon- 
der isolated  aluminum  seat,  and  may  begin 
your  lessons." 

Bacteria  will  not  develop  any  more  rapidly 
than  the  deoxygenated  lack  of  breathing  system 
will  permit.  Sanitary  laws  and  arrangements 
in  all  directions  are  desirable,  but  one  may  pine 
and  die  in  perfect  external  sanitary  conditions, 
even  to  a  faultlessly  clean  body,  with  best  of 
food.  More  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
science  and  the  art  of  the  effects  of  the  emo- 
tions in  body-building.  Many  people  of  the 
happiest  dispositions  "  live  long  and  prosper  " 
midst  filth,  while  many  of  gloomy  tendencies 
die  early  in  life  in  perfectly  healthful  surround- 
ings. 


134  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

In  choosing  a  teacher  (wife,  husband,  em- 
ployee, for  that  matter),  select  one  who  is  a 
diaphragmatic  breather,  hence  poised,  cheerful, 
optimistic,  positive,  kindly  disposed.  Look  not 
for  a  driller,  disciplinarian,  first.  The  best 
driller  will  be  included  in  the  good  breather. 
Napoleon  is  said  to  have  selected  soldiers,  when 
possible,  by  receiving  only  those  with  large, 
open  nostrils,  large  breathers,  at  least,  but 
probably  they  were  more  rib  than  diaphrag- 
matic breathers.  Rib  breathing  is  strenuous, 
strong,  but  exhausting,  merciless  at  times. 

Often  the  curriculum  in  the  school  or  the 
work  and  routine  at  home  invite  discipline,  call 
out  obstinacy. 

Calves,  by  instinct  (inherited  habits  of  pre- 
vious animal  experience),  will  walk  when  the 
appropriate  time  arrives,  without  the  mother 
cow's  care,  similarly  birds  will  fly,  chickens 
will  run  about.  But  the  babe  must  be  assisted, 
coaxed,  forced  to  walk  before  the  instinctive 
time  can  arrive,  often  attended  with  so  many 
undesirable  results.  Psychologists  tell  us  that 
if  human  babies  for  many  generations  could 


INHIBITION  135 

have  perfect  freedom  as  to  the  walking  time, 
they  would  do  as  well  as  the  calves,  rise  and 
walk,  wasting  no  time  of  mother  or  nurse. 

We  force  children  in  school  to  study  numbers 
years  before  the  brain-cells  are  instinctively 
formed  or  ready  to  assist  the  mind  to  act  math- 
ematically. Stupidity,  obstinacy,  are  shown  by 
pupils  thus  forced  against  nature.  The  teacher 
is  employed  to  get  results.  She  drives.  There 
is  opposition,  discipline,  emotionally  under- 
mined health  of  pupil  and  teacher,  minds  still 
less  clear  and  strong  for  the  difficult  work. 
Oh,  for  a  school  director  who  can  divine  when 
each  child  can  instinctively  best  begin  each 
study !  This  will  bring  the  school  millennium, 
and  the  earth's  population  will  catch  the  spirit 
of  it  all.  Some  pupils  at  eleven  years  of  age 
can  happily  and  healthfully  master  more  arith- 
metic in  one  year  than  they  would  unhappily 
and  unhealthfully  get  by  studying  it  from  five 
years  old  to  eleven. 

The  kindergarten,  in  general,  is  doing  a  nat- 
ural, poising,  happy,  successful  work,  but  some 
kindergartners  are  falling  from  grace  and  be- 


136  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

coming  fossilized,  full  of  rules,  mandatory.  In 
the  kindergarten,  naturalness  of  action,  inves- 
tigation, politeness,  cheerfulness,  kind-hearted- 
ness, are  being  emphasized  by  play,  song,  and 
work.  What  they  repeat  in  thought  and  act 
soon  becomes  habit,  character.  They  enact  and 
think  they  are  ' '  brave  knights  and  true. ' '  One 
is  what  he  thinks  and  acts. 

In  a  grand  book  on  education,  the  author 
writes  that  now  the  parent  says,  when  he  finds 
his  child  not  in  health,  "  I  must  keep  my  boy 
from  school  to-day,  as  he  is  not  feeling  well." 
When  naturalness,  freedom,  practicality,  are  in 
the  educational  system  in  school-work  and 
schoolroom  in  the  near  future,  the  parent  will 
say,  "  My  boy  isn't  feeling  very  well  to-day, 
so  I  must  keep  him  in  school." 

Emerson's  writings  are  positive,  optimistic, 
cheerful,  substitutional,  as  in: 

"  Nerve  us  with  incessant  affirmatives. 
Don't  bark  against  the  bad,  but  chant  the 
beauties  of  the  good." 

"  Emerson  loved  the  good  and  Carlyle  hated 


INHIBITION  137 

the  bad,  and  the  Carlylian  most  abounds  to- 
day, ' '  and  with  its  lack  of  health. 

St.  Paul  teaches  inhibition  by  substitution, 
as  in: 

"  Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever 
things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just, 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things 
are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  re- 
port; if  there  be  any  virtue,  if  there  be  any 
praise,  think  on  these  things/ ' 

The  mind  subjectively  is  all  the  time  building 
the  body,  just  as  it  is  influenced  by  the  mind 
objectively  acting  upon  it  by  self-suggestion, 
auto-suggestion,  or  every-day  common  think- 
ing. This  conscious  activity  goes  on  about  ten 
per  cent,  of  the  time  in  reality.  The  subjective 
condition  is  character,  building  power,  habit, 
instinct,  heredity,  all  results  of  our  conscious 
thinking  and  that  of  those  who  have  preceded 
us,  whether  negative  or  positive.  It  behooves 
us  to  use  our  conscious  minds  active  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  time,  grandly  always,  and  register 
well.    It  is  the  pioneer  judge. 

Wrong  thinking  will  produce  unhealthy  bod- 


138  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

ily  and  mental  results,  and  just  as  surely,  no 
more,  no  less  surely,  right  thinking  will  bring 
forth  healthy  bodily  and  mental  results.  ' '  Now 
is  the  day  of  salvation." 

Conscious  emotional  thinking  is  but  dimly 
developed  in  the  lower  animals,  yet  the  sub- 
jective mind  and  sympathetic  nerve  system 
results  can  be  seen  in  the  cow,  dog,  horse,  in 
fact,  in  any  animal.  The  cat  does  not  con- 
sciously fear  death,  Hades,  leaving  mother, 
father,  brothers,  sisters,  playmates,  —  when 
the  dog  is  in  pursuit,  yet  from  "  survival  of 
the  fittest  "  law,  instinct,  reflex  action,  the  cat 
receives  some  results  detected  in  less  breath- 
ing, perturbed,  interrupted  circulation,  poorer 
blood,  toxins,  weak  muscles,  unbalanced  elec- 
tric condition,  and  shorter  life. 

Man  is  very  consciously  emotional,  and  the 
results  are  much  more  intense.  In  this  respect 
he  may  be  worse  off  than  the  lower  animals, 
but  he  has  his  conscious  mind  with  which  to 
ward  off  fear,  if  he  can  and  will  use  it. 

The  cow  that  has  loving  care  bestowed  on 
her  is  known  to  give  more  milk,  richer  cream, 


INHIBITION  139 

to  eat  less,  to  breathe  more,  to  behave  better 
when  let  loose  from  the  stable  or  into  the 
road.  The  writer  has  watched  results  when  the 
"  hired  man  "  was  ugly,  harsh,  brutal  to  the 
cows.  Notice  such  cows  when  he  attempts  to 
drive  them  through  roads,  byways,  and  high- 
ways into  a  pasturing  field.  Their  heels  are  in 
air,  fences  are  jumped,  gardens  and  private 
fields  are  entered,  reminding  one  of  certain 
pupils  coming  out  of  certain  school  buildings. 
Of  the  cow  and  of  any  animal  (including  the 
human  species),  it  can  be  said,  "  Their  actions 
speak  louder  than  words." 

"  Love  is  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world," 
whether  applied  to  a  man,  child,  cow,  bird,  dog. 
Love  for  the  cow  not  only  benefits  the  cow 
but  it  rewards  the  owner.  A  faithful,  loving 
dog,  lying  beside  his  dead  master,  mourns  him- 
self to  death  in  an  hour  or  two.  Subjective 
mind  and  sympathetic  nerve  system  work  death 
as  compelled  by  the  conscious  mourning  mem- 
ory, even  in  the  dog.  If  one  can  love  animals 
all  unconscious  of  the  commercial  reward,  his 
health  is  heavenly. 


140  HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

One  often  wonders  how  he  can  awake  in  the 
morning  ill,  having  retired  the  night  before 
well.  His  conscious  mind  was  out  of  business 
all  the  night.  That  chemist  subjective  mind, 
average  of  all  previous  experiences  and  ob- 
jective teaching,  has  built  disease.  A  night- 
mare illustrates  the  condition  of  the  sleeping 
mind.  A  nightmare  mind  builds  a  nightmare 
body.  Even  rib  breathing  begins  when  night- 
mare begins,  the  diaphragmatic  action  of  peace- 
ful sleep  ceasing.    "  Our  own  comes  to  us." 

The  sequence  of  tones,  different  vibrations, 
or  rarefactions  and  condensations  of  the  air 
on  the  surface  of  the  body,  affect  one  nega- 
tively or  positively.  The  deaf  illustrate  this 
best.  The  result  of  1,  3,  5,  sung  or  played  is 
encouragement;  the  result  of  6,  7,  8,  is  dis- 
couragingly  beseeching.  These  results  are  ours 
by  instinct,  inheritance,  law,  education.  Put 
dismal  words  to  dismal  tunes  and  you  may  so 
weaken  some  persons  that  disease  is  induced. 
The  rule  works  both  ways.  The  lullaby  puts 
the  babe  to  sleep,  not  by  accident.  There  are 
no  accidents.    Baby  knows  not  consciously  the 


INHIBITION  141 

association  of  the  words  or  tones,  but  its  soul 
responds  to  its  lesson  of  eternity. 

If,  when  one's  fingers  are  nearly  exhausted, 
sad  music  be  played,  he  cannot  move  them  then. 
Let  a  grand  strain  be  played,  and  immediately 
the  fingers  can  easily  be  worked.  This  shows 
how  quickly  the  emotions  can  act  on  the  blood 
circulation,  for  better  or  for  worse. 

The  army  is  discouraged  and  flagging.  The 
band  sounds  forth  "  The  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner,' '  the  soldiers  are  erect,  and  with  new 
strength  are  grandly  marching. 

Martial  and  rag-time  music  are  excellent  for 
warming  cold  feet  and  relieving  headache. 
The  incipient  working  of  the  foot  and  leg 
muscles,  and  the  thought  directed  there,  with 
the  cheerful  emotional  effect  upon  the  circu- 
lation, cause  more  blood  to  go  to  the  lower 
limbs,  drawing  some  from  and  sending  less  to 
the  congested  brain. 

A  woman  in  the  insane  asylum  was  brought 
from  her  cell  in  a  strait- jacket,  violent,  loud, 
cold,  profane.  A  Chopin  nocturne  was  played. 
She  ceased  her  profanity,  talked  sensibly.    A 


142  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Beethoven  adagio  was  played.  Her  pulse  be- 
came full  and  strong.  Then  "  Home,  Sweet 
Home,"  and  she  became  much  less  nervous, 
with  skin  warm,  returning  to  her  cell  without 
her  strait- jacket.  The  cell  surroundings  would 
increase  at  once  the  insaneness. 

There  were  twelve  patients  in  a  hospital, 
eleven  Americans  and  one  Scotchman.  The 
house  physician  informed  the  visiting  clergy- 
man that  the  eleven  Americans  were  improv- 
ing so  rapidly  that  they  would  be  discharged 
in  a  day  or  two,  but  that  the  Scotchman  way 
sinking  rapidly  and  might  die  any  minute.  A 
week  afterward,  the  report  received  by  the 
clergyman  was  that  the  Scotchman  was  well 
and  had  been  discharged,  and  that  the  eleven 
Americans  were  dead  and  buried.  It  was 
learned  that  the  Scotchman  asked  for  a  High- 
lander and  his  bagpipes.  The  arousing  old 
airs  of  his  native  land  and  the  musical  instru- 
ment of  his  boyhood  and  his  ancestors  so 
stirred  him  emotionally  on  the  positive,  sub- 
stitutional side  that  new  breathing,  rich  blood, 
excellent  circulation,  and  all  the  other  health 


INHIBITION  143 

results  naturally  following,  made  him  quickly 
well,  and  he  ' '  arose  and  walked. ' ' 

If  the  music  the  eleven  had  to  listen  to  (if 
only  on  Sundays  even)  was  as  mixed  and  pessi- 
mistic as  the  writer  had  to  listen  to  in  the  hos- 
pital twelve  years  ago,  this  would  largely  ac- 
count for  the  sudden  change  for  the  worse  and 
death  of  the  eleven.  Much  improvement  is 
now  being  made  in  the  musical  feature  in  the 
hospitals  and  sanitariums. 

Church  music  may  much  lessen  or  increase 
the  health  of  congregation  and  pastor.  If  one 
listens  to  a  tune  in  the  old-fashioned  minor 
nasal  key  with  such  words  as  — 

"  Alas !  and  did  my  Saviour  bleed, 
And  did  my  Sovereign  die  ? 
Would  he  devote  that  sacred  head 
For  such  a  worm  as  I  ? 


And  melt  my  eyes  to  tears. 

But  drops  of  grief  can  ne'er  repay," 

and  allows  himself  to  have  the  negative  feel- 
ings and  the  sadness  and  regret  to  affect  him 
at  the  solar  plexus,  he  by  God's  law  is  reduced 


144  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF  -  CONTKOI 

in  his  threefold  health.  He  will  more  readily 
develop  disease  of  a  certain  kind  toward  which 
he  may  have  a  tendency. 

The  following  words  were  sung  in  churches 
sixty  years  ago,  not  far  from  Boston : 

"  Hark,  from  the  tomb  a  doleful  sound, 
Mine  ears  attend  the  cry. 
Ye  living  men,  come  view  the  ground, 
Where  you  must  shortly  lie." 

When  some  noted  vocalist  sings  "  Almost  per- 
suaded but  lost  "  to  a  weeping  audience,  art  is 
shown,  but  it  is  not  a  sign  of  healthful  success. 
"  Where  is  my  wandering  boy  to-night?  " 
carries  poor  blood  and  poor  circulation  with 
its  singing.  A  friend  remarked  one  day  that 
he  found  himself  holding  his  breath  listening 
to  the  grandest,  most  sacred  music.  When  the 
soul  is  in  tune  with  the  Infinite,  no  music,  noth- 
ing awes,  stops  the  breathing.  A  little  fear, 
mystery,  or  the  like  is  produced  by  such  music, 
and  the  law  works.  To  call  certain  music 
sacred  does  not  make  it  harmless. 
Now  let  us  listen  to  — 


INHIBITION  145 

"  Joy  to  the  world,  the  Lord  is  come ! 
Let  earth  receive  her  King; 
Let  every  heart  prepare  him  room, 
And  heaven  and  nature  sing," 

adapted  to  good  old-fashoned  major-keyed 
music.  If  we  let  the  spirit  of  it  all  enter  us, 
we  are  literally  healed. 

"  It  is  time  to  be  brave,  it  is  time  to  be  true, ' ' 
and  ' '  Peace  like  a  river,  it  floweth  so  free, ' '  at 
once  help  all  who  hear,  —  physically,  mentally, 
spiritually.  There  is  irreligious  music,  non- 
spiritual,  anti-health  music,  much  of  it  in  our 
churches.  The  writer  is  a  church-member,  but 
he  believes  that  our  religious  practices  should 
be  healthful,  or  they  are  not  of  God. 

Audible  prayer  may  be  injurious  or  helpful 
to  the  one  praying  and  to  the  listener.  Silent 
prayer  may  be  a  means  of  health,  grace,  or 
disease.  True  prayer  is  adjustment  that 
strength,  soul,  and  body  may  be  evolved. 
Cheerfulness,  boldness,  admiration,  glad  thank- 
fulness, a  fatherly  and  filial  reciprocal  confi- 
dence, are  the  foundation.  "  Enter  into  his 
gates  with  thanksgiving,  and  into  his  courts 


146  HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

with  praise;  "  "  gates  and  courts  "  include 
everywhere.  "  Serve  the  Lord  with  gladness." 
1 '  Let  us  therefore  come  boldly  unto  the  throne 
of  grace."  "  Eejoice  evermore."  "  The  chief 
end  of  man  is  to  glorify  God  and  enjoy  him 
forever."     "  Forever  "  includes  now. 

The  evolution  of  the  animal  kingdom  is  a 
grand  uplifting  prayer,  adjustment  to  chang- 
ing environment  for  more  life.  In  a  slow  way 
the  best  adapted,  in  the  distant  past  (and  now), 
to  changing  environment  survived  the  change. 
The  best  adapted  of  these  succeeded  in  more 
life  amidst  adversities.  The  unadapted,  defi- 
cient, disappeared.  Man  resulting  leads 
toward  God,  the  prayer  of  the  ages  of  the 
race.  God  is  our  ideal  thinking,  the  best 
Father  we  can  imagine.  "  God  is  Spirit,  and 
they  that  worship  him  must  worship  him  in 
spirit  and  in  truth."  God  is  love,  omniscience, 
omnipotence,  omnipresence,  these  are  the  eter- 
nal energy,  Spirit,  God.  To  worship  God  is 
to  admire  his  attributes  and  desire  more  of 
them  in  our  thinking  and  acting.  This  is  the 
only  way  we  can  worship  him,  in  spirit  and 


INHIBITION  147 

in  truth  or  truly.  It  is  the  way  to  love  or 
worship  any  being  or  things,  seeing  the  best 
possible  in  all,  desiring  it  in  all  others  and  our- 
selves, and  so  living  and  acting  that  more  may 
come  to  all.  Paul  says,  "  But  the  fruit  of  the 
spirit  is  love,  gladness,  peace,  patience,  gen- 
tleness, purity,  faith,  mildness,  continence. ' ' 
This  is  Ferrar  Fenton's  translation.  The 
reader  will  note  this  translator  in  other  quo- 
tations. Some  words  have  so  changed  their 
meaning  since  1600  in  the  "  King  James  "  ver- 
sion that  the  twentieth-century  meanings  are 
given  here. 

Good  authority  says  that  love  is  explained 
by  the  eight  words  following  it.  Love  includes 
all.  A  church-member,  a  Christian,  any  one  who 
desires  truly  to  live,  should  worship  God,  should 
practise  in  thought  and  deed  all  the  time  the 
fruit  of  the  spirit  which  is  to  be  a  presence 
always  showing  in  his  life,  —  "  love,  gladness, 
peace,  patience,  gentleness,  purity,  faith,  mild- 
ness, continence, ' '  toward  all  persons,  animals, 
things,  conditions,  not  one  of  these  virtues, 
but  all,  all  the  time. 


148  HEALTH    THEOUGH    SELF-CONTEOL 

Paul  also  writes :  u  If  we  live  spiritually, 
we  should  also  drill  ourselves  spiritually. ' '  To 
drill  spiritually  is  to  put  into  the  mind  and  act 
all  the  qualities  of  the  fruit  of  the  spirit  when- 
ever one  discovers  he  is  out  of  the  fruit  of  the 
spirit,  or  it  is  out  of  him  as  to  practicality.  If 
you  hurry,  this  is  not  peace,  nor  gentleness ;  if 
you  are  gossiping,  finding  fault,  these  are  not 
patience.  Put  away  hurry  instantly,  and  gos- 
siping when  you  become  conscious  you  are  pos- 
sessed by  them,  by  putting  into  consciousness 
peace,  patience,  love.  These  states  of  mind 
are  spirit  fruit,  and  they  are  health  of  body, 
mind,  and  soul  in  accordance  with  the  eternal 
laws  of  emotional  building.  The  life  of  Chris- 
tianity's founder  emphasized  peace  and  good- 
will, poise  and  kind-heartedness,  self-control 
and  toleration. 

Scientific  experiments  to-day  and  for  the  past 
few  years  are  proving  that  God's  laws  may 
make  us  well  or  ill,  according  to  how  we  use 
or  apply  them.  The  thermometer  at  60  degrees 
below,  at  zero,  at  212  degrees  above,  affects  us 
very  differently,  but  one  principle  is  in  the 


INHIBITION  149 

effects,  —  vibration,  influence,  action,  motion, 
less  or  more.  The  states  of  mind  are  similar 
in  principle.  Put  uncontrollable  grief  or  death 
for  fifty  degrees  or  more  below  zero,  gloom 
below  or  nearer  zero,  then  despondency,  sad- 
ness, calmness.  Now  calmness  will  represent 
pretty  nearly  sixty  or  seventy  degrees,  the 
agreeable  warmth,  life,  we  associate  with  the 
temperature  of  the  weather.  Above  this,  yet 
within  it,  will  be  gladness,  then  hilarious  mirth, 
then  hysterical  joy,  then  uncontrollable,  con- 
vulsive, happy  excitement,  then  death,  212  de- 
grees. There  is  this  seeming  badness  and  good- 
ness in  all  laws,  in  all  emotions,  in  all  exist- 
ences. In  water,  for  instance,  it  is  ice,  melting 
ice,  ice-water,  cold  water,  warm  water,  hot 
water,  boiling  water,  steam,  and  so  on.  One 
substance  in  different  vibrations.  Death  or 
life  to  us  as  our  relations  to  it.  Laughter  and 
weeping  are  two  extremes  of  the  same  emotion, 
so  to  speak.  We  can  arrange  a  mental  ther- 
mometer for  these.  Laughter  uncontrollable  is 
death,  grief  uncontrollable  is  death.  The  safe 
place,  "  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High," 


150  HEALTH  THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

is  gladness,  calm  and  poised,  one  of  the  fruits 
of  the  spirit.  God  is  in  a  law,  and  Satan  appar- 
ently, but  it  is  all  in  God,  of  God,  by  God,  from 
God,  is  God.  We  must  work  out  our  salvation 
by  relating  ourselves  correctly  to  the  law.  Law 
is  love,  God  is  law.  The  only  Satan  there  is, 
is  our  ignorance  of  law,  and  our  non-adapted- 
ness  to  it.  In  every  thought  is  possible 
heaven  or  hell.  "  In  his  law  doth  he  meditate 
day  and  night.' '  "  The  law  of  his  God  is  in 
his  heart;  none  of  his  steps  shall  slide.' ' 
"  Heart  "  is  poised  emotional  states,  active 
from  the  solar  plexus  by  the  subjective  mind. 
It  is  holy,  whole  spirit,  or  as  holy  as  one 
has. 

All  the  virtues  taught  by  all,  or  any  spiritual 
leader  either  give  all-round  health  or  should 
give  it  and  would  give  it  if  we  would  relate 
ourselves  harmoniously  to  eternal  law,  God. 

We  need  not  relate  ourselves  to  it  on  pur- 
pose to  get  physical  health,  but  if  we  will  relate 
our  spiritual  development  to  universal,  practi- 
cal law  and  love,  physical  health  will  flow  with- 
out any  conscious  aim  for  it.    il  Seek  first  the 


INHIBITION  151 

kingdom  of  heaven  (harmony),  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you." 

The  laboratory  to-day,  God  observed  and 
experienced,  is  crying  aloud  to  and  sparing  not 
any  organization  that  is  teaching  and  practis- 
ing principles  that  lead  to  less  strength  of  body, 
mind,  and  spirituality,  i.  e.  body  made  weaker, 
mind  not  as  clear,  spirituality  becoming  for- 
mality. The  Christian  Science  Church,  whether 
it  is  wholly  scientific  or  not,  is  scientific  in  de- 
claring "  Signs  should  follow  "  faith  and  love, 
and  the  inability  of  the  general  church  to  pro- 
duce the  most  desired  result,  health,  brought 
this  church  into  existence.  Some  unscientific 
principles  of  practice  crept  into  the  church  in 
the  middle  centuries,  and  now  we  are  beginning 
to  resist  because  some  churches  are  producing 
the  real  article,  the  article  of  health  that  fol- 
lowed naturally  and  without  asserting  it  as 
such,  during  a  few  centuries  after  the  life  of 
Jesus  on  earth. 

If  theology,  the  science,  and  religion,  the  art, 
were  spiritual,  that  is,  if  the  spiritual  were 
always  present  in  the  theologians  and  the  re- 


152  HEALTH    THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

ligionists,  they  would  be  as  ready  and  glad  to 
change  any  church  law  or  principle  when  found 
unhealthful,  unscientific,  as  a  chemist  is  glad  to 
accept  all  the  latest  discoveries,  putting  away 
the  incorrect  past  formulae.  God  is  scientific, 
is  science,  and  must  be  studied  scientifically, 
which  is  in  reality  spiritually,  for  it  will  lead 
in  the  main  to  know  God,  to  live  in  him,  to 
"  enjoy  him  forever.' '  Opposition  to  science 
degrades  it  to  those  who  oppose  it,  and  acts 
unpoisedly  on  the  investigators.  Because  some 
truth  was  announced  fifteen  hundred  years  ago 
is  no  reason  for  assuming  that  no  larger  truth, 
no  correction  of  seeming  truth,  can  come.  Let 
us  be  so  inductive  and  deductive  in  all  our 
church  practices,  so  earnest  for  the  blessed 
truth,  that  we  will  not  care  who  discovers  it,  or 
where  discovered,  provided  we  receive  its  bene- 
fits and  godly  unfoldment;  then  religion  and 
science  will  be  one  and  the  same,  so  will  State 
and  Church  be  one,  cannot  help  being  so,  for  the 
Church  then  could  not  be  separated  from  the 
life  of  the  State,  for  only  one  healthful  way 
would  prevail,  there  could  be  no  other.     All 


INHIBITION  153 

religious  work  would  be  persuasive,  reasonable, 
practical,  scientific,  healthful,  attractive,  nat- 
ural, spiritual. 

"  There  are  so  many  invalids  among  the 
pious  "  is  a  frequent  saying  that  has  arisen 
from  spirituality  becoming  more  and  more  non- 
spirituality ;  cheerful  faces  becoming  long 
faces;  optimistic  thinking,  pessimistic  think- 
ing; positive,  loving  habits  becoming  negative, 
condemning,  and  gossiping  habits;  peace, 
hurry;  patience,  impatience;  gladness,  sad- 
ness; and  intelligent,  practical  faith  a  fossil- 
ized, bigoted  moral  code.  To  feel  that  one  is 
a  "  poor  worm  of  the  dust,"  that  one  does 
well  to  weep  and  mourn  religiously,  to  sorrow, 
to  regret,  to  fret,  to  worry,  to  hurry,  is  to  make 
invalids  among  the  pious,  though  such  persons 
are  impious.  "  Eeligion  never  was  designed 
to  make  our  pleasures  less."  God  is  the  same 
in  pulpit  and  laboratory.  "  If  your  religion 
does  not  change  you,  then  you  had  better 
change  your  religion."  "  A  sick  man  is  a  vil- 
lain," so  wrote  a  noted  American.  "  An  ill 
man  is  a  coward  or  a  fool, ' '  wrote  a  celebrated 


154  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

Englishman.    "  Man  does  not  die,  he  kills  him- 
self,' '  says  another  equally  earnest  observer. 

In  politics  when  we  follow  party  or  the  can- 
didate rather  than  the  principles  we  love,  in 
the  end  the  best  is  not  accomplished.  When 
we  worship  or  dedicate  ourselves  to  a  personal 
Jesus,  rather  than  to  the  principles  he  lived, 
we  make  a  more  dangerous  mistake.  It  leads 
to  theology,  not  to  all-round  spirituality;  it 
may  possibly  lead  to  religiosity.  Theology 
quarrels,  religion  has  or  assumes  the  pious 
talk,  spirituality  is  glad,  sincere,  peaceful, 
good-willed.  Why  are  not  all  the  young  men 
and  women  glad  and  desirous  to  join  the  church 
or  to  be  members  of  it,  just  as  glad  as  to  join 
the  best,  most  healthful  and  interesting  organ- 
ization they  are  members  of?  There  is  a  half- 
shamefacedness  about  the  matter.  The  church 
should  be  whole,  catholic,  so  natural,  so  scien- 
tific, so  healthful,  so  cheerful,  so  interesting, 
that  no  other  society  or  organization  could  be 
preferred  or  even  needed.  The  church  or  a 
religion  must  include  all  that  helps  and  devel- 
ops man  most  in  every  particular. 


INHIBITION  155 

When  the  young  men  and  women  note  the 
tendency  to  fossilized  religious  practices,  when 
they  see  those  who  declare  they  love  the  Cross 
are  so  easily  made  cross  emotionally,  if  dif- 
fered from  in  logic,  philosophy,  or  theology, 
how  can  they  see  attractiveness  in  those  claim- 
ing to  have  spiritual  love,  peace,  patience,  glad- 
ness, gentleness!  Theological  hair-splitting, 
which  is  so  tense  and  therefore  unhealthful, 
is  typicalized  in  this  current  story:  "  Three 
clergymen  of  different  denominations  spent 
their  summer  vacations  incidentally  at  the  same 
hotel.  They  were  much  together  in  boating, 
fishing,  bathing,  tennis.  These  they  all  en- 
joyed, always  cheerfully  and  kindly  disposed, 
but  whenever  they  talked  on  religious  and 
theological  matters,  they  lost  their  poise,  with 
even  a  little  bigotry.  Their  consciences  troub- 
led them.  On  the  day  before  parting,  they 
determined  to  be  agreeable  in  one  religious 
discussion  at  least,  that  they  might  depart  to 
their  several  churches  in  love  toward  each 
other.  Kev.  Mr.  A.  was  appointed  to  choose  a 
verse  for  discussion  from  the  Bible  by  opening 


156  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

the  book  at  random,  selecting  the  passage  the 
eyes  first  settled  on.  He  was  to  give  his  ver- 
sion of  the  lines,  then  the  two  others  likewise. 
The  verse  thus  decided  on  was,  '  And  David 
danced  before  the  ark.'  Eev.  A.  said  only  one 
view  could  prevail,  viz.  David  danced  in  front 
of  the  ark,  in  its  presence.  Rev.  B.  said  it  had 
a  deeper,  more  important  historical  meaning 
and  that  only,  viz.  David  danced  before  the  ark 
was  in  existence.  Eev.  C.  ridiculed  both  ex- 
planations and  declared  vehemently  that  only 
one  meaning  of  the  passage  was  sensible  or 
credible,  his,  viz.  David  danced  and  then  the  ark 
danced.  They  said  a  frigid  good-by,  and  each 
remarked  to  the  others:  '  Some  day  you  will 
see  it  as  I  do.  It  is  a  very  important  point  in 
Scriptural  interpretation. '  " 

"  Resist  not  evil  "  was  exemplified  by  Jesus 
Christ  in  its  fulness.  He  went  to  his  death 
rather  than  resist.  The  redemption  from  non- 
self-control,  from  hate  to  love,  must  come  along 
this  line.  Can  the  average  Christian  "  resist 
evil  "  when  he  is  told  falsely  or  truly  that  he 
is   dishonest?     Does  he   resist?     How  much? 


INHIBITION  157 

Mental  blows?  Physical  blows ?  Spiritual  loss 
or  gain?  We  ought  to  be  glad  to  be  told  our 
deficiencies  and  make  them  less,  or  kindly  prove 
to  the  accuser  that  he  has  made  a  mistake. 
Such  loving  dignified  attitude  will  in  the  end  do 
more  for  humanity  than  resentment,  quarrel- 
ling, fighting,  stabbing,  duelling,  war.  War 
and  strife  in  a  nation,  state,  town,  between 
nations,  can  never  cease  until  each  family  can 
live  in  peace  and  good-will  during  twenty-four 
hours  each  day  among  its  members.  Why 
should  not  a  clergyman  who  assumes  to  lead 
the  people,  as  a  business,  be  fitted  for  it  most 
successfully?  He  should  be  good  at  tennis, 
baseball,  golf,  running,  swimming,  developed  in 
all  acquirements  possible,  if  these  things  are 
best  for  any  one.  Then  the  guide  will  not  be 
blind  and  will  not  lead  the  blind  into  the  ditch. 
He  would  teach  poise  in  all  things. 

u  If  we  could  fairly  get  to  the  bottom  of  the 
thought  of  many  a  youngster  who  turns  his 
back  upon  church  and  preacher  and  Christian 
Association  and  Christian  Union  and  Societies 
for  Christian  Endeavor,  he  has,  if  he  would 


158   HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

dare  say  so,  the  notion  which  Aucassin  had  in 
the  Provencal  story.  You  ask  him  to  go  into 
Paradise.  And  his  reply  is :  '  Into  Paradise  f 
Do  you  know  who  those  are  that  go  there, — 
you,  who  think  it  a  place  where  I  wish  to  go! 
They  are  old  priests,  old  cripples,  old  one-eyed 
men,  such  as  lie  day  and  night  before  the  altars, 
sickly,  miserable,  shivering,  half-naked,  half- 
fed,  dead  already  before  they  die.  Those  are 
they  who  go  to  Paradise,  and  they  are  such 
pitiful  companions  that  I  do  not  desire  to  go 
to  Paradise  with  them.  But  to  hell  would  I 
gladly  go;  for  to  hell  go  the  good  clerks  and 
the  fair  knights  slain  in  battle  and  in  great 
wars,  the  brave  sergeants-at-arms,  and  the 
men  of  noble  lineage,  and  with  all  these  would 
I  gladly  go.'  " 

This  same  tendency  of  theological  teaching, 
as  viewed  by  the  business-world  impression 
now,  is  shown  in  the  following:  A  discussion 
about  the  orthodox  heaven  and  hell  was  in  full 
process.  At  the  close,  one  in  so-called  good 
standing  in  church  circles,  remarked,  "  As  for 


INHIBITION  159 

me,  for  climate  I  would  prefer  heaven,  but  for 
society  I  would  prefer  hell." 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest  and  on  earth 
peace,  good- will  toward  men  "  was  the  spiritual 
demand  nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  God  was 
being  feared,  dreaded,  he  was  not  a  loving 
father.  The  people  were  in  moral  and  spiritual 
development  about  what  they  conceived  God's 
attributes  to  be.  A  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  high- 
est "  would  be  a  character  of  the  highest  kind, 
fatherly,  loving,  omnipresent,  to  be  associated 
in  men's  minds  when  they  thought  of  God. 
This  "  association  "  would  lead  to  more 
"  peace  on  earth  and  good- will  toward  men." 
The  aspirations  to-day  are  or  ought  to  be  the 
same,  and  we  must  get  the  fulfilment  more. 
"  Peace  and  good-will  "  can  never  even  quar- 
rel. We  must  associate  all  good  things  with 
God  in  this  world,  in  us,  whether  physical,  men- 
tal, or  spiritual.  He  must  be  one's  best  friend, 
our  health,  "  who  is  the  health  of  my  counte- 
nance ;  ' '  "  the  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my 
life ;  ' '  our  help  in  study ;  i '  God  is  a  very  pres- 
ent help  in  trouble ;  "   in  football ;  in  business. 


160  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

We  may  no  more  divorce  the  physical,  mental, 
and  spiritual  from  one  another,  one  spirit  in 
all  things,  practical,  wholesome,  lifeful.  The 
very  words,  God,  church,  should  make  us  glad 
even  at  the  solar  plexus,  as  happy  as  children 
are  who  are  delighted. 

Give  practical,  healthful  meanings  to  Scrip- 
tural writings,  applicable  to  every-day  needs. 
Leave  the  theological  hair-splitting  out.  The- 
ology will  take  care  of  itself  later  in  life.  This 
will  help  to  save  the  rising  generations. 

11  What  things  soever  ye  desire,  when  ye 
pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 
have  them."  Is  physical  strength  needed? 
Let  the  virtues  of  mind  be  made  habits,  as 
peace  and  good-will,  and  what  is  desired  comes. 
It  can  come  instantly.  Prayer  is  answered. 
Good  praying  is  answered  in  a  good  way,  bad 
praying  is  answered  in  a  bad  way.  The  prayer 
is  the  state  of  mind  made  dominant,  and  this 
mind  will  perform  through  the  subjective  mind 
in  its  chemist  laboratories  in  the  body  its  di- 
rections. Body  and  mind  respond  to  the 
prayer.    The  moment  one  decides  to  be  cheer- 


INHIBITION  161 

ful  and  not  sad,  that  moment  the  prayer  is 
answered  some  or  much  in  all  departments  of 
health.  i  '  Pray  without  ceasing  ' '  is  the  uni- 
form state  of  the  total  mind  in  gladness,  cour- 
age, love,  whether  asleep  or  awake,  at  home 
with  the  family  or  away,  in  business;  it  is 
health. 

An  invalid  lady  said, ' '  I  keep  His  commands, 
I  claim  His  promises,  and  I  get  no  better.' ' 
She  was  reminded  that  she  was  very  unkind 
to  her  nurse,  and  that  was  not  keeping  His 
commands,  and  no  good  promises  could  be  kept 
by  Him.  She  was  theological,  not  spiritual. 
"  Only  believe  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.' '  Be- 
lieve what!  "As  a  man  thinketh,  so  is  he." 
Believe  is  to  belife.  To  belife  is  to  put  into 
the  life,  mind,  breathing,  eating,  —  peace,  good- 
will, which  are  the  best  emotional  health  bring- 
ers.  "  Saved  "  from  what!  Whatever  is  mak- 
ing you  less,  —  hurry,  worry,  impatience,  jeal- 
ousy, unkindness,  impurity,  gossip,  a  cold, 
rheumatism  —  which  are  killing  you  in  all 
ways.  Believe  that  godliness  in  mind  is  god- 
liness in  body,  that  is,  belife  it,  and  you  will 


162  HEALTH    THEOUGH   SELF  -  CONTKOL 

see  that  a  physical  cold  and  a  mental  cold  are 
two  sides  of  the  same  vibration.  "  Thy  faith 
hath  saved  thee."  Faith?  Principle  of  belief 
and  act.  "  Go,  sin  no  more  lest  a  worse  thing 
come  upon  you. ' '  "  Sin  no  more, ' '  that  is,  keep 
practising  the  saving  principle  that  saved  you, 
avoiding  disease-producing  acts  and  thoughts. 
"  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  heaven  (har- 
mony) and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto 
you."  There  are  two  ways  of  getting  com- 
mercial riches.  One  is  to  get  them  honestly 
or  dishonestly,  whichever  is  easier,  but  to  get 
them.  The  mind  is  set  on  getting  money.  In 
the  way  advocated  in  the  quotation,  the  riches 
will  naturally  follow  true  harmony  in  a  person 
without  his  consciously  seeking  them.  How? 
Harmony  really  lived  day  and  night  means,  by 
the  emotional  laws,  more  strength,  physically, 
mentally,  spiritually,  —  this  strength  must  suc- 
ceed in  business  and  everywhere.  It  would 
attract  customers.  It  would  make  harmonious 
people  more  desired  for  the  most  responsible 
positions;  higher  salaries;  better  opportuni- 
ties would  open  up  to  such  persons  than  to  the 


INHIBITION  163 

inharmonious.  If  you  say  this  is  not  true  of 
Christians  to-day,  it  may  be  so,  but  it  is  not 
the  fault  of  the  workings  of  the  principle  of 
harmony,  but  of  its  being  half -lived,  half -prac- 
tised. This  way  of  harmonious  wealth  is  god- 
like. All  the  fruit  of  the  spirit  is  gathered. 
Happiness,  health,  and  competency  come  with- 
out first  making  them  conscious  objects. 

Why  is  there  so  much  profanity  among 
Christian  nations?  Such  use  of  the  words, 
God,  Jesus,  Lord,  Almighty,  damn,  hell? 
Largely  because  of  an  arbitrary,  condemning, 
angry  God,  taught  to  the  people,  in  the  distant 
past  most,  instead  of  a  loving  and  just  father, 
a  self-controlled  Jehovah.  We  become  like 
those  we  believe  in,  and  imitate  what  they  do 
and  think.  Even  this  tendency  is  non-health. 
We  must  have  more  and  more  the  loving, 
fatherly  idea  of  God,  and  less  and  less  of  the 
detective,  punishing  one.  We  must  come  to 
see  that  we  punish  ourselves  or  free  ourselves 
by  God's  wise  laws.  "  Love  is  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world.' '  Martin  Luther  grew  sick 
of  life,  discouraged,  ill.     Where  were  love  of 


164  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

and  trust  in  the  universe?  His  wife  put  on 
mourning  to  intensify  his  and  her  despondency. 
Where  were  love  and  health? 

Preparing  here  so  much  for  a  future  life 
after  death  is  not  healthful  in  any  sense.  The 
Sadducees  believed  it  would  detract  from  real- 
izing a  practical  living  while  on  earth.  We 
prepare  for  any  future  by  living  scientifically 
now.  No  future  day  of  judgment  after  death 
can  demand  any  extra  preparation  which  is  not 
best  for  every-day  home  living. 

It  is  known  that  Christians  used  to  be  well 
in  body  as  in  mind.  St.  John  writes :  "  I  pray 
above  all,  friend,  that  you  may  be  prosperous 
and  well,  just  as  your  soul  prospers.' '  "  The 
Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  save  that  which 
was  lost."  Who  more  than  the  sick  man  needs 
saving?  His  soul  and  body  prosper  together. 
Salvation  is  whole,  not  partial;  scientific,  not 
theological. 

An  Ohio  Lutheran  clergyman  was  dismissed 
from  his  pastorate  because  he  was  the  means 
of  making  a  certain  church-member  well  in 
body.    Another  clergyman  called  on  a  very  ill 


INHIBITION  165 

parishioner.  By  his  cheer  and  sympathy  she 
suddenly  rose  from  her  couch  and  was  well. 
He  was  alarmed  lest  he  should  be  surmised  of 
healing  her.  He  declared  he  was  not  guilty 
as  far  as  he  knew.  It  is  a  question  of  health 
now  and  in  future,  or  health  simply,  for  a  cer- 
tainty, in  some  distant  future  in  the  unseen. 
One  kind  of  Christian  doctrine  is  giving  a 
promissory  note  for  health  and  happiness,  pay- 
able x  years  after  sight,  out  of  the  body,  assur- 
ing ecstasy  from  that  time  on.  Another  kind 
is  giving  a  promissory  note  payable  at  sight,  in 
the  body,  assuring  harmony  and  health  forever 
here  and  there. 

Christians,  all  religious  organizations,  must 
live  love,  be  love,  bring  up  the  children  in  love, 
else  there  will  soon  be  no  distinction  between 
the  Church  and  the  so-called  world.  By  love 
here  is  not  meant  a  backboneless  kind,  but  the 
real  "  fruit  of  the  spirit  "  kind. 

Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale  has  written  this: 
"  I  always  knew  God  loved  me,  I  always  was 
grateful  to  him  for  the  world  I  was  placed  in 
by  God.    I  always  liked  to  tell  him  so,  and  was 


166  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

always  glad  to  receive  his  suggestions  to  me. 
I  enjoyed  life  because  I  could  not  help  it,  not 
because  I  ought  to.  A  child  who  is  early  taught 
that  he  is  God's  child,  that  he  may  live  and 
move  and  have  his  being  in  God,  and  that  he 
has  therefore  infinite  strength  at  hand  for  the 
conquering  of  any  difficulty,  will  take  life  more 
cheerfully  and  probably  will  make  more  of  it 
than  one  who  is  told  that  he  is  born  the  child 
of  wrath  and  wholly  incapable  of  good." 

"  Isn't  this  very  hot  weather?  How  oppress- 
ive the  heat  is!  What  shall  we  do  if  it  be- 
comes any  warmer?  It  is  so  tiresome.  I  don't 
feel  fit  for  anything.  It's  beginning  to  rain, 
and  this  hot  mugginess  will  make  it  unbearable. 
How  people  must  be  suffering!  I  know  some 
will  be  overcome  by  the  heat  and  die  to-day. 
I  do  hope  husband  is  not  suffering.  We  can't 
go  anywhere  in  this  weather.  What's  the  use 
in  living?  It's  just  a  shame  to  have  such 
weather.    It's  too  bad." 

One  hears  equally  pessimistic  conversation 
when  the  weather  is  too  cold,  too  windy. 

So  far  as  this  habit  of  finding  fault  of  the 


INHIBITION  167 

weather  is  emotionally  felt,  it  affects  the  health 
foundationally,  badly  in  all  directions.  One 
who  so  indulges  says  in  reality  that  the  Ruler 
of  the  Universe  is  much  at  fault,  objects  to  his 
dispensation.  It  is  at  least  kicking  against  the 
pricks.  One  is  so  depleted  by  this  habit  that 
the  weather  affects  him  badly  much  more  read- 
ily. Think  on  other  things,  put  weather  out 
of  the  mind,  or  see  all  the  good  points  in  it, 
and  strength  to  endure  easily  the  weather 
thereby  comes. 

"  VISION 

"  It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me, 
It's  raining  daffodils  down, 
In  every  dimpled  drop  I  see 
Wild  flowers  on  distant  hills. 

"  The  clouds  of  gray  engulf  the  day, 
And  overwhelm  the  town, 
It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me  — 
It's  raining  roses  down. 

"  It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me, 
But  fields  of  clover  bloom, 
Where  any  buccaneering  bee 
May  find  a  bed  and  room. 


168  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

"  A  health  unto  the  happy, 
A  fig  for  him  who  frets, 
It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me, 
It's  raining  violets." 

—  Sidney  Lanier. 

The  weather  is  not  changed  by  this  kind  of 
criticism  unless  it  is  really  made  worse,  for,  if 
all  causes  and  effects  are  tied  together  uni- 
versally, all  good  thought  or  vibration  helps 
the  universe  to  express  itself  better,  and  all 
pessimistic,  negative  thinking  and  conversation 
will  affect  the  universe  negatively  or  badly. 
There  is  relation  between  a  stormy  mind,  a  hot 
mind,  and  stormy,  hot  weather.  "  He  com- 
mandeth  even  the  winds  and  the  water,  and 
they  obey  him. ' ' 

Mr.  J.,  unless  the  weather  was  perfect  to 
him,  uniformly  replied,  in  a  faultfinding  tone 
to  people  who  saluted  him  with,  "  Good  morn- 
ing," "  What's  it  good  for?  "  This  was  typ- 
ical of  his  way  of  thought.  He  died  at  sixty-five 
of  poor  circulation  of  the  blood,  the  doctor 
said. 

Mr.  A.,  on  all  occasions,  good  weather,  bad 


INHIBITION  169 

weather,  when  accosted  with  a  "  Good  morn- 
ing/ '  replied,  in  cheerful  tones,  "  Yes,  good 
enough  for  two."  This  was  the  tone  of  his 
whole  life.  He  lived  in  health  till  ninety-one, 
then  died  suddenly. 

The  mother  says  to  her  child,  "  0  dear!  don't 
bother  me."  This  "  dear  "  so  spoken  does  not 
mean  love,  but  it  is  derived  from  the  French 
Dieu  —  God.  It  is  profanity,  if  there  is  such 
a  thing.  Her  emotions  are  negative,  below 
zero,  and  she  is  getting  her  reward  and  much 
harming  her  child. 

Games  and  sports  would  be  exceedingly 
healthful  if  the  emotions  were  always  poised, 
were  of  the  unselfish  kind.  Rivalry,  disap- 
pointment, undue  strenuousness  to  win  for  self, 
through  the  laws  of  the  emotional  effects  on 
body,  make  such  activities  detractive  to  health. 

When  one  can  play  croquet  with  a  satisfac- 
tion as  great  when  his  opponent  is  winning  as 
when  he  himself  is  winning,  then  the  game  is 
royally  wholesome.  Such  a  person  would  win 
more  easily  by  his  saved  energy. 

How  do  you  do?    How  do  you  feel  to-day? 


170  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

If  the  questioned  one  is  well,  or  if  the  ques- 
tioner is  intellectively,  non-emotionally  asking, 
not  much  harm  is  done,  if  any.  If  the  friend  is 
not  well,  and  says  so,  his  health  is  decreased 
and  the  inquirer  will  have  trouble  at  the  solar 
plexus  if  he  listens  to  a  doleful  tale.  There 
is  a  better  salutation.  Let  us  think  when  we 
can  on  what  we  wish  to  be,  and  not  on  what  we 
do  not  wish  to  be. 

"  Oh!  do  see  that  cripple.  Isn't  it  too  bad? 
I'm  so  sorry.  How  he  must  suffer.' 9  Better 
spend  all  this  energy  of  food,  oxygen,  and 
thought  in  wishing  him  well,  in  good  telepathy, 
in  a  deed.    Save  him,  save  yourself. 

Gossip,  faultfinding,  little  condemnations  are 
incipient  hate.  They  induce  some  of  the  re- 
sults of  hate  on  all  persons  concerned.  ' l  Judge 
not,  that  ye  be  not  judged  "  is  psychologically 
healthful.  The  "  I  am  better  than  you  "  feel- 
ing leads  to  much  gossip.  The  "  I  am  as  good 
as  you  "  to  less  gossip.  The  "  You  are  as  good 
as  I  "  feeling  admits  no  gossip. 

"  There  is  so  much  bad  in  the  best  of  us, 
And  so  much  good  in  the  worst  of  us, 


INHIBITION  171 

That  it  hardly  behooves  any  of  us 
To  talk  about  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Do  unto  others  as  you  would  that  they 
should  do  unto  you."  We  do  to  ourselves  be- 
fore we  do  to  another,  whether  our  thought  is 
good  or  bad.  The  law  is  executed  in  us  while 
we  think  the  deed. 

"  Love  your  enemies  "  is  more,  physiologic- 
ally and  psychologically,  in  favor  of  the  lover 
than  the  enemy.  To  love  one's  enemies  is 
health.  "  Hate  your  enemies  "  is  as  much 
death  to  the  hater  as  to  the  enemy,  and  may 
be  more.  The  emotional  laws  are  unalterable. 
It  is  health  to  us  and  others  to  see  the  best  we 
can  in  all  persons,  things,  events. 

They  who  are  emotional  dealers  in  jealousy, 
prejudice,  suspicion  are  hastened  into  bank- 
ruptcy of  health.  The  subjective  mind  that 
is  jealous  may  soon  build  cancerous  tissue. 

Prejudice  is  prejudgment,  a  groundless  opin- 
ion. u  A  Mr.  J.  has  moved  into  town.  I  don't 
like  his  appearance.  I  know  he  will  be  a  troub- 
lesome citizen.  I  hope  we  won't  meet  him." 
Prejudging  him  induces  or  increases  his  dis- 


172  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

agreeableness,  affects  his  health,  career,  nega- 
tively, and  those  of  the  gossipers  far  more. 
"  Every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they 
shall  give  an  account  thereof." 

Trying  to  make  others  feel  kindly  or  rightly 
toward  ourselves  is  a  very  unhealthful  business 
for  both  parties  concerned.  Making  one's  self 
harmonious  toward  others,  whether  they  are 
satisfied  or  not  with  us,  is  peace  and  life  for 
the  harmonizer,  and  it  will  bring  more  harmony 
and  development  of  spiritual  strength  to  the 
enemy  than  can  be  brought  about  in  any  other 
way.  See  to  it  that  we  ourselves  are  right  in 
our  disposition  toward  others,  not  that  they  are 
rightly  dispositioned  toward  us.  No  dignity  is 
lost  in  this  way.  Let  us  seek  to  right  ourselves, 
not  others. 

Suspicion  at  once  holds  the  breath,  and  that 
is  the  beginning  of  a  train  of  depleters. 

Pride  and  vanity  are  inimical  to  peace  and 
good-will,  hence  to  health. 

Worry  is  a  waste  of  energy,  of  nerve-centre 
energy,  worse  than  thrown  away.  This  energy 
could  be  used  to  prevent  what  is  feared.    "  Do 


INHIBITION  173 

see  where  Johnny  is  and  what  he  is  doing,  and 
tell  him  not  to  do  it  "  is  representative  of 
untold  wasted  energy,  lost  health,  premature 
agedness,  shrivelled  life.  We  are  all  doing 
more  or  less  of  this  in  various  ways,  but  we 
may  not  realize  it.  "  Worry,  not  work,  kills." 
At  least,  "  Worry  kills  ten  where  work  kills 
one. ' ' 

There  is  a  fear  of  worry  more  harmful  than 
worry,  a  worry  lest  one  may  worry,  as  — 

"  I've  joined  the  new  '  Don't  Worry  Club.' 
And  now  I  hold  my  breath ; 
I  am  so  scared  for  fear  111  worry, 
That  I'm  worried  'most  to  death." 

Worry  is  an  emotional  boomerang,  hurry  is 
equally  so.  Four-fifths  of  the  energy  generated 
by  the  mind  from  the  food  and  oxygen,  blood, 
are  used  to  keep  the  body  in  repair.  The  re- 
maining fifth  can  be  used  for  business,  pleas- 
ure, activities,  mind  and  muscle  work.  A  per- 
son who  hurries  while  he  works  or  thinks,  con- 
sumes more  than  the  one-fifth  energy  which 
should  be  used  in  appropriate  activity.  The 
hurry  mind  state  especially  oxidizes  the  cell 


174  HEALTH   THKOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

energy  in  the  nerve-centres,  whether  one  moves 
a  muscle  or  not.  Now  add  the  oxidizing  effect 
of  work,  and  he  soon  becomes  languid,  tired, 
despondent,  worn  out.  One  can  sit  still  all  day 
worrying,  and  use  up  all  the  energy  he  acquires 
from  eating  and  breathing,  and  consume  much 
of  the  tissue  of  the  normal  body.  When  one 
hurries  and  worries  and  works,  he  must  sooner 
or  later  take  less  pleasure  in  life,  in  his  home, 
accomplish  less,  not  do  it  as  well,  tire  sooner. 
While  a  person  hurries,  he  cannot  breathe 
enough  oxygen,  no  organ  can  function  well. 
While  a  person  hurries,  he  cannot  breathe 
or  both,  he  needs  more  oxygen  to  be  supplied 
to  the  food  in  the  blood  for  the  work,  but  if 
he  hurries  he  cannot  get  enough  oxygen  into  the 
blood  through  the  lungs,  for  one  cannot  hurry 
and  use  the  lungs  well,  —  all  the  bad  results 
of  a  negative  emotion  follow.  If  one  works  and 
thinks  cheerfully,  he  has  four-fifths  ox  his  en- 
ergy for  the  body  as  a  machine,  and  one-fifth 
to  use  in  his  activities,  for  a  cheerful  state  of 
mind  does  not  only  not  wear  out  nerve-centres, 
but  it  vitalizes,  electrifies  them,  and  causes  the 


ERRATUM 

Page  174^  line  13,  should  read  : 

While  a  person  works  mentally  or  physically, 


INHIBITION  175 

lungs  to  do  their  best  as  to  purifying  the  blood, 
and  hence  every  organ  will  do  its  best.  All 
the  positive  effects  permeate  the  being.  One 
can  thus  do  more  work  in  the  same  time,  do  it 
better,  and  work  longer  without  exhausting  his 
one-fifth  energy.  In  the  evening  such  a  person 
will  love  to  be  with  his  family  and  friends,  if 
not  otherwise  properly  engaged,  to  go  calling, 
to  attend  a  lecture,  because  he  has  unused  en- 
ergy. Especially  should  a  Christian  always  be 
cheerful,  never  a  worrier  or  hurrier,  for 
"  Christian  "  should  include  "  peace  and  good- 
will "  always.  "  God's  activity  is  his  repose.7' 
A  home  with  cheerfulness  in  it  is  a  missionary 
spot  for  the  best  gospel  of  health;  one  with 
hurry  and  worry  in  it  is  unsanitary  in  every 
way. 

Hasten  differs  from  hurry.  When  one  hur- 
ries he  breathes  short  breaths,  holds  his  breath 
out  or  in ;  he  lacks  oxygen  and  strength.  When 
one  hastens  he  moves  as  quickly  as  when  he 
hurries,  but  his  breathing  is  deeper  and  more 
regular,  and  enough  oxygen  goes  in  for  poised 
activity.     One  can  hasten  for  the  train  with 


176  HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

adequate  breathing.  He  cannot  hurry  for  the 
train  and  breathe  adequately.  It  is  not  only 
that  poise  will  get  the  person  to  the  train  as 
soon  or  sooner,  but  that  after  reaching  the 
train  he  knows  just  what  to  do,  with  no  pant- 
ing, palpitation  of  the  heart,  no  wild  gesticula- 
tion. He  has  consumed  much  less  energy. 
"  The  end  crowns  the  work."  "  Maximum 
results  with  minimum  expenditure  "  is  thus  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law.  Invest  in  hurry  and  there 
are  no  dividends,  but  there  are  ever  increasing 
assessments.  Invest  in  cheerfulness  and  even 
hasten,  and  there  are  always  dividends  with  the 
stock  at  a  premium.  One  must  have  two  times 
as  much  oxygen  by  weight  as  food  in  the  blood 
to  be  at  his  best.  The  ever  present  hurry  and 
worry  of  to-day  absolutely  prevent  (rod 's  law  of 
two  to  one  of  oxygen  and  food  from  being  ful- 
filled. Health  is  scientific,  a  science  and  an  art. 
To  hurry  is  to  annul  the  chief  commandment. 
To  say  "  Grod  loves  those  whom  he  chastens  " 
is  to  say  he  loves  those  who  do  not  abide  in 
peace. 

When  one  lacks  phosphorus  in  his  system, 


INHIBITION  177 

he  thinks  the  doctor  wise  to  direct  him  to  take 
phosphorus  in  food  or  medicine.  When  one  is 
tempted  by  hurry,  worry,  or  any  negative  emo- 
tion, let  him  know  that  he  lacks  oxygen,  and 
the  wise  thing  for  him  to  immediately  do  is 
cheerfully  to  breathe  more  deeply,  even  with  an 
inward  smile,  and  outward,  too,  if  not  too 
noticeable.  This  extra  breathing  will  tend  to 
make  up  the  lack  of  oxygen  and  restore  equi- 
librium and  courage.  The  diaphragm  activates 
the  solar  plexus  and  all  the  building  forces, 
extra  oxygen  meets  the  lonesome  food  and  the 
two  marry  compatibly  and  produce  a  family 
of  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual  strength. 
This  poised  thinking  will  induce  the  diaphragm 
rather  than  the  ribs  to  move.  The  mind  gets 
hold  of  itself  in  commanding  the  breathing  and 
is  reinforced. 

The  fatigue  point  depends  on  the  mind  state. 
Observation  at  educational  institutions  have 
been  made  on  students  working  in  the  indus- 
trial department,  as  while  carving.  Certain 
students  are  cheerfully  in  love  with  their  work, 
others   are  indifferent,   still  others  work  the 


178  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

allotted  time  impatient  to  be  free,  or  to  do 
something  else.  The  first  class  of  workers,  as 
compared  with  the  second  and  third,  do  better 
work,  do  more  in  the  same  time,  and  do  not 
tire  as  soon.  Cheerfulness  succeeds.  Carlyle, 
who  reaped  a  harvest  he  didn't  appreciate, 
wrote:  "  Give  us,  oh!  give  us  the  man  who 
sings  at  his  work.  He  will  do  more  in  the 
same  time,  he  will  do  it  better,  he  will  persevere 
longer.  One  is  scarcely  sensible  of  fatigue 
whilst  he  marches  to  music.  Wondrous  is  the 
power  of  cheerfulness,  altogether  past  calcu- 
lation its  power  of  endurance.  Efforts  to  be 
permanently  useful  must  be  uniformly  joyous, 
a  spirit  all  sunshine,  graceful  from  very  glad- 
ness, beautiful  because  bright.,, 

Impurity  in  a  general  sense  is  weakening; 
impurity  of  thought  and  act  is  deathward. 
When  any  so-called  physical  passion  is  in- 
dulged in,  whose  aim  is  not  to  elevate  and 
strengthen  all  who  indulge  in  it,  for  time  and 
eternity,  it  is  an  impure  act.  Such  a  negative 
state  of  mind  and  act  consume  vitality  in  a 
most  rapid  and  degenerating  manner.     Even 


INHIBITION  179 

the  thought  alone,  here,  as  in  any  negative  emo- 
tion, e.  g.  anger  with  no  vented  action  on  an- 
other, undermines  all  health,  deadens  all  vir- 
tues, upsets  all  poise.  Poise  in  this  direction 
would  speedily  cause  divorce  to  disappear. 
1 '  My  strength  is  as  the  strength  of  ten  because 
my  heart  is  pure."  Eating  ice-cream  between 
meals,  when  the  body  has  all  the  food  it  needs, 
weakens  reason,  tends  to  make  life  seem  less 
worth  living,  and  health  is  badly  affected  in 
several  ways. 

The  stage  offers  a  healthful  or  an  unhealth- 
ful  work.  If  in  the  plays,  pessimism,  negativ- 
ity, sentimental  thought,  are  indulged  in,  cor- 
responding results  follow.  If  optimistic,  posi- 
tive, wholesome  practical  impersonation  pre- 
vail, results  on  actor  and  audience  are  a  per- 
manent health  uplift.  Compare  the  actors, 
Jefferson  and  McCullough.  One  presented  jolly 
characters,  optimistic  experiences,  comedy.  The 
other  was  a  tragedian,  stern,  negative  in  his 
theatrical  work.  Jefferson,  hale  and  healthy, 
died  suddenly  at  seventy-six.  McCullough, 
troubled  even  to  insanity,  died  at  forty-eight. 


180  HEALTH    THBOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

Mrs.  H.  acted  "  Blind  Bertha  "  in  Dickens's 
"  Cricket  on  the  Hearth."  She  put  her  soul 
into  it,  or  it  into  her  soul.  The  subjective  mind 
as  a  chemist  did  its  work.  She  became  sud- 
denly blind. 

Forrest  and  other  actors  tell  us  that,  after 
acting  parts  like  Othello,  Iago,  Desdemona,  they 
are  very  much  exhausted,  "  knocked  out," 
very  tired,  despondent,  on  the  next  morning. 
The  jealousy,  anger,  remorse,  even  only  acted, 
do  their  lawful  weakening  work.  The  more 
intensely  the  part  is  enacted  in  such  plays,  the 
worse  the  effect  on  the  actor.  His  art  may  be 
perfect,  but  not  his  health.  The  audience  re- 
ceive corresponding  results,  if  they  allow  them- 
selves to  experience  the  emotions  enacted.  It 
is  not  alone  the  impure  air  of  the  theatre  that 
makes  one  feel  languid  after  the  attendance. 

There  is  a  tendency  to  form  the  habit  at 
theatre  of  sentimentalism,  namely,  to  "  feel 
bad,"  condemn  and  approve  emotionally  points 
brought  out  in  the  play  and  not  putting  the 
emotional  sad  or  glad  ecstasies  into  practical 
use. 


INHIBITION  181 

Faith  and  works,  practical  living,  consists 
of  thinking,  deciding,  execnting,  depending  in  a 
general  way  on  sensory  nerves,  nerve  centres, 
and  motor  nerves,  or,  in  other  words,  impres- 
sion, reasoning,  performance.  Sentimentalism 
is  faith  without  works ;  it  performs  not.  It  is 
a  great  anti-health  factor. 

A  Russian  lady  wept  at  theatre  in  St.  Peters- 
burg over  the  portrayal  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  poor  till  midnight,  while  her  coachman  sat 
cold  and  nearly  freezing  without.  This  reminds 
one  of  Marie  Antoinette,  who,  on  hearing  that 
the  rioting  poor  were  starving  and  could  get 
no  bread,  asked  why  they  did  not  eat  cake. 

St.   Paul  said  that  faith  without  works  is 
dead. 
"  Example  is  stronger  than  precept." 
"  Practise  what  you  preach." 
"  Lack  to  live  one's  ideal  is  sin." 
"  No  conscious  beggar  breathes  well." 
One  can  listen  successfully  to  a  play  that 
may  be  somewhat  negative  by  maintaining  an 
intellective  state  of  mind,  i.  e.  neither  pessi- 
mistic nor  optimistic.    Choose  the  play  you  are 


182    HEALTH  THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

to  hear  as  you  would  choose  more  life  or  less 
life. 

"  Parsifal  "  presents  for  a  half -hour  an  im- 
morally tempting  scene.  There  is  final  tri- 
umph, but  inhibition  should  be  instant;  dwell- 
ing on  what  you  wish  not  to  be  is  not  the  way 
of  life. 

"  Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As,  to  be  hated,  needs  only  to  be  seen  ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. 


For  truth  has  such  a  face  and  such  a  mien, 
As,  to  be  loved,  needs  only  to  be  seen." 

It  cannot  be  seen  too  oft. 

A  lady  had  been  to  see  "  Everyman  "  the 
evening  before.  How  did  she  like  the  play? 
Enjoyed  every  minute,  —  wept  from  beginning 
to  end.  How  was  she  feeling  now?  Not  very 
well.  The  air  in  the  theatre  was  very  impure, 
and  it  had  brought  on  an  attack  of  indigestion. 
The  air  doubtless  had  something  to  do  with  the 
indigestion,  but  had  the  play  been  more  whole- 
somely practical,  the  kind  that  makes  the  lungs 


INHIBITION  183 

work  well  and  all  other  functions  glad,  indi- 
gestion would  have  been  digestion. 

We  can  find  also  in  books,  pictures,  art  of  all 
kinds,  newspapers,  acts  of  the  government, 
health  or  non-health.  There  are  no  health  or 
non-health  accidents.  Two  and  two  are  always 
four.  One  can  "  catch  cold  "  in  reading  a  cer- 
tain kind  of  a  novel,  a  disappointing  love-story, 
or  get  rid  of  a  cold  by  reading  a  novel  that  so 
invigorates  one  that  the  blood  is  purified  and 
the  disease  becomes  ease.  Unless  one  can  in- 
hibit quickly  or  read  intellectively  the  news- 
paper horrors,  his  health  is  doomed  little  by 
little.  Eead  the  news  to  see  what  is  going 
on,  decide  intellectively  what  is  best  to  do, 
as  giving  money,  reforming  the  laws,  lending 
a  hand,  but  read  in  poise,  retaining  strength 
that  you  may  be  able  to  do  the  best  for  all. 
Do  not  mourn  away  energy  that  can  be  put  to 
helpful  use. 

Life  is  negative,  pessimistic,  discouraging, 
despondent,  regretful  enough,  without  attend- 
ing rehearsals  of  these  emotional  tendencies, 
whether  on  the  stage,  in  the  book,  or  with  art. 


184  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

We  shall  always,  during  our  imperfect  state, 
have  enough  temptation  in  life-work  to  give 
us  an  opportunity  to  work  out  a  salvation,  to 
be  tempted  in  all  points  for  growth,  to  "  over- 
come evil  with  good."  Give  us  more  elevating 
plays,  grander  and  more  purely  cheerful  and 
innocently  full  of  laughter.  Give  us  pictures 
on  our  walls  that  will  by  looking  on  them  make 
us  breathe  better.  Put  "  Mater  Beatifica  "  in 
the  place  of  "  Mater  Dolorosa.' ' 

Shall  we  not  cultivate  the  emotions?  Cer- 
tainly. Cultivate  courage,  peace,  love,  pa- 
tience, gladness.  Is  it  wise  to  cultivate  hurry, 
worry,  gossip,  hating,  sorrowing,  anger,  and 
remorsing? 

If  health  is  wisdom,  the  negative  emotions 
must  be  made  less  and  less  in  our  experience; 
wholesomeness  and  all  positive  emotions  must 
become  more  and  more  the  mind  habit. 

American  advertising  often  leads  to  depres- 
sion in  the  observer.  One  looks  at  an  advertis- 
ing picture  in  which  Omega  Oil  is  being  applied 
to  the  cure  of  rheumatism,  and  finds  himself 
picturing  in  his  mind  what  the  face  of  the  rheu- 


INHIBITION  185 

matic  expresses.  Inhibition  must  be  quick,  else 
the  chest  will  depress  and  vitality  be  lessened. 
Pity  and  sympathy  should  be  distinguished. 
Pity  is  false  sympathy.  Pity  expressed  to  any 
one  lowers  his  vitality  and  that  of  the  pitier; 
sympathy  expressed  raises  the  vitality  of  both. 
6 '  How  tired  you  look.  You  must  feel  so  weary. 
It's  too  bad  you  had  to  walk  such  a  distance. 
It's  a  shame."  This  kind  of  talk,  pity,  will 
lessen  the  breathing  of  the  tired  one  immedi- 
ately, and  we  know  what  accompanies  this. 
To  greet  the  tired  one  cheerfully,  with  no  ref- 
erence to  the  weariness,  to  present  a  restful 
seat,  to  engage  in  glad  conversation  on  whole- 
some subjects,  is  to  make  the  person  less  tired, 
to  breathe  better,  and  we  know  what  accom- 
panies this.  This  is  true  sympathy.  It  makes 
both  breathe  better,  and  this  is  the  key-note  of 
health  and  harmony.  You  can  distinguish  by 
the  breathing,  pity  from  sympathy.  Sympathy 
is  correct  burden-bearing.  The  helper  assists, 
but  arouses  the  other  to  self-reliance.  "  Bear 
ye  one  another's  burdens."  "  For  every  man 
shall  bear  his  own  burden." 


186    HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

A  few  students  each  agreed  to  tell  a  student 
selected  for  the  experiment  or  trick  that  he 
looked  sick,  that  he  seemed  weak,  looked  pale. 
During  an  hour  each  had  an  opportunity.  In 
two  hours  this  selected  student  felt  ill  and  ob- 
tained leave  of  absence  to  go  home  to  recuper- 
ate. His  classmates,  realizing  the  harm  they 
were  doing,  soon  persuaded  him  that  he  was 
well.    He  recuperated  then  and  there. 

To  tell  an  emotional  child  that  he  ought  to 
be  ashamed  of  himself  for  doing  a  certain  act 
is  to  compel  him  to  breathe  about  half  enough 
or  less  oxygen.  He  can  be  reformed  more 
quickly  along  positive,  optimistic  lines.  You 
will  have  more  vitality  on  which  you  can  make 
an  impression,  and  you  will  have  more  vitality 
to  use. 

A  man  was  ill.  A  small  boy  from  across  the 
street  went  into  the  room  without  permission, 
walked  up  to  the  bed  and  said :  ' '  How  bad  you 
look.  My  grandmother  looked  like  that  and  she 
died.  Well,  I  can't  stay  any  longer.  Aren't 
you  glad  I've  come  to  see  you?  "  Is  the  gen- 
eral   conversation   among  people  much   more 


INHIBITION  187 

healthful  than  this?  Is  this  pity  or  sympathy? 
Are  we  friends  or  enemies  ? 

Mamma  comes  home  and  finds  Johnny  cry- 
ing. "  What  are  you  crying  about?  "  "  Boo- 
hoo,  I  fell  down  yesterday  and  hurt  myself.' ' 
"  Well,  what  are  you  crying  about  it  to-day 
for?  "  "  Why,  you  weren't  here  yesterday." 
The  mother's  fault.  We  all  did  this  in  one  way 
or  another  to  our  mothers.  We  are  doing  as 
wrongly  now  when  we  rehearse  our  woes,  some 
burglary,  divorce  case,  selected  tidbits  of  gos- 
sip, to  our  husband,  wife,  best  friend.  Such 
doings  very  much  lessen  the  life  of  all,  for  each 
goes  through  all  the  subjective  mind  and  solar 
plexus  shocks. 

"  I  am  so  sorry  you  are  ill  "  is  a  familiar 
statement.  To  think  sorrowfully  cannot  help 
the  invalid  nor  the  observer.  It  does  very 
much  lower  the  vitality  of  both.  Talk  on  sub- 
jects that  will  lead  to  more  activity  of  lungs. 
Illness  report  will  cease  to  get  an  audience  in 
the  invalid's  mind,  and  that  will  help  the  sub- 
jective mind  to  do  better  work  right  away. 

u  Christians  and  other  martyrs  at  the  stake 


188  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

have  been  oblivious  to  burning  limb  while  their 
minds  were  cheerfully  at  work  imparting  lov- 
ing messages  to  their  enemies."  This  proves 
that  invalids  can  become  oblivious  to  their  pain, 
and  will  become  so  if  we  assist  by  true  sympa- 
thy and  not  by  pity,  and  thus  better  bodily 
functioning  can  take  place  at  once,  and  we  shall 
be  "  working  miracles  "  by  a  universal  law. 

If  this  greeting  to  the  invalid  is  said  con- 
ventionally, not  much  harm  is  done,  but  it  is 
purposeless,  weak.  If  said  and  not  at  all  meant, 
the  results  on  both  are  surely  depleting.  Con- 
scious insincerity  works  against  us. 

"  I  wish  I  hadn't  eaten  that  salad.' '  Say- 
ing this  emotionally  causes  the  salad  to  digest 
less  easily.  There  will  not  be  enough  oxygen 
to  make  efficient  gastric  juice  to  digest  the 
salad.  Say  if  you  wish,  intellectively,  "  Next 
time  I'll  be  wiser,"  then  drop  the  thought, 
breathe,  and  be  glad. 

"  Too  bad  I  was  out  when  you  called."  If 
this  is  a  fib,  it  is  not  healthful.  If  it  is  true, 
say,  "  How  kind  of  you;  do  call  soon  again. 
I  do  so  much  wish  to  talk  with  you. ' '    The  tone 


INHIBITION  189 

of  voice  here  tells  so  much.  If  you  are  glad 
you  were  out,  "  the  least  said,  the  soonest 
mended,"  but  let  cheerful  sincerity  prevail 
"  though  the  heavens  fall." 

Many  suffer  tenseness  and  unease  when  call- 
ers stay  too  long.  This  condition  interferes 
with  the  whole  electro-magnetic  plant  of  the 
body.  Be  at  peace,  relax,  callers  will  go  as 
soon.  If  you  have  not  the  time  for  a  longer 
call,  say  so  in  the  beauty  of  holiness  or  whole- 
ness. No  one  in  this  way  can  be  offended. 
Sincerity,  simplicity,  is  relaxation,  is  good  cir- 
culation of  good  blood  and  all  the  other  col- 
lateral good  things. 

Secrecy,  fear,  tenseness,  are  poor  circulation 
of  poor  blood  and  all  the  other  collateral  poor 
things. 

There  are  days  when  one  does  no  other  work 
than  receive  callers,  and  yet  that  one  is  worn 
and  weary  at  retiring  time.  This  is  all  unneces- 
sary. Be  glad  all  day  long  and  thus  conserve 
your  energy,  spend  it  royally  and  thus  benefit 
your  callers  and  yourself  more. 

One  breaks  a  piece  of  rare  crockery,  a  gift, 


190  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

and  mourns  to  illness  over  it.  That  doesn't 
mend  the  article,  and  it  breaks  the  owner. 
"  There  is  no  help  for  spilled  milk,"  unless  it 
is  to  peacefully  avoid  in  the  future  a  like  blun- 
der. Take  several  deep  breaths,  smile,  and 
inhibit  substitutional^.  It  will  give  you  health, 
and  you  will  not  be  so  liable  to  break  another 
article. 

You  miss  your  purse  on  arriving  at  the  store, 
left  it  at  home,  have  a  sinking  spell  at  the  solar 
plexus,  denounce  yourself.  This  will  not  bring 
the  purse.  It  will  not  give  you  as  much 
strength  to  go  home  to  get  it,  or  as  clear  a  mind 
to  devise  the  best  procedure.  Be  happier  that 
day  than  usual,  breathe  more,  drink  more  water 
between  meals,  and  you  will  in  the  future  re- 
member oftener  little  things  and  big  things. 

Lose  a  train  and  regret  it  keenly,  talk  about 
it.  Of  what  help  is  this  ?  Spend  the  time  wait- 
ing in  wholesome  thinking  and  conversation. 
Banish,  inhibit  pessimism.  Do  not  mention  the 
"  lost  train  "  unless  in  a  business  way.  Live 
above  such  vibrations.  "  A  wise  man  rules  his 
stars,  a  fool  obeys  them."    Stars?    A  certain 


INHIBITION  191 

grouping  of  the  stars  at  birth  is  said  to  influ- 
ence the  new-born  into  better  or  worse  condi- 
tions. A  lost  watch,  a  lost  train,  a  lost  fortune, 
a  lost  friend  or  relative  may  send  you  down  or 
up  in  life,  according  as  you  obey  wrong  ten- 
dencies or  direct  them,  change  them.  These 
are  some  of  the  stars  we  must  rule  or  become 
less.  "It  is  never  too  late  to  mend.''  "  "We 
always  may  become  what  we  might  have  been. ' ' 

The  many  little  sads  at  home  and  every- 
where that  should  be  transmuted  immediately 
into  glads  are  keeping  so  many  in  a  languid 
state  and  helping  to  make  them  failures. 

Conscious  secrets  in  the  home  and  in  business 
prevent  perfect  bodily  functioning.  One  sub- 
consciously at  least  fears  lest  he  may  say  some- 
thing at  the  wrong  time  before  the  wrong  per- 
son. Free  yourselves.  "  The  truth  shall  make 
you  free." 

Apologies  that  cover  up  the  real  reason  are 
helping  toward  mind  slavery  and  bodily  in- 
harmony.  "  The  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is 
abomination;  how  much  more  when  he  bring- 
eth  it  with  a  wicked  mind?  " 


192  HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Even  conventional  "  white  lies/'  infinitesi- 
mal excuses,  whether  by  word,  look,  or  gesture, 
hinder  natural,  wholesome  development. 

Many  are  prostrated  at  Christmas  time  in 
shopping,  selecting  love  gifts,  planning  for  the 
holiday  pleasures.  Christmas  time,  by  its 
name,  should  mean  more  life,  not  less.  At  this 
season  of  the  year  nervousness,  scolding,  un- 
kind words,  tiredness,  illness  increase.  What 
is  wrong?  Peace  and  good- will,  poise  and 
good-naturedness,  self-control  and  kind-heart- 
edness depart  as  hurry,  worry,  hustle  come  in. 
Adequate  breathing  becomes  insufficient  breath- 
ing. This  is  only  one  link  in  the  chain  that 
shackles  us. 

Spring  cleaning  is  a  sanitary  work  so  far  as 
the  house  is  concerned,  but  it  usually  proves 
unsanitary  to  the  housekeeper  and  all  the  occu- 
pants of  the  house.  How?  Lack  of  poise,  lack 
of  cheerfulness,  presence  of  hurry,  worry,  wish- 
ing it  over.    Let  us  clean  house  mentally  also. 

Dressmaking  time,  new-bonnet  season  lower 
the  health  tone.  Why?  Lack  of  poise  which 
upsets  the  life  processes  of  the  body.     Keep 


INHIBITION  193 

efficient  breathing  going  and  poise  will  abide. 
It  works  both  ways.  Poise  and  breathe. 
Breathe  and  poise.  Why  does  not  gathering- 
flowers  unpoise  one  as  much  as  house-cleaning, 
bonnet-getting?  We  can  make  all  duties  to  be 
pleasures.  Cultivate  cheerfulness,  and  the 
transformation  will  be  worked.  Why  not  do 
so?  We  can  thus  do  more,  do  it  better,  in  the 
same  time,  and  work  longer.  If  we  must  do  a 
certain  work,  let  us  be  wise,  business-wise  at 
least,  and  have  a  good  time  at  it,  save  energy, 
have  health,  and  a  better  opportunity  to  pass  on 
to  work  we  do  naturally  like.  Get  the  healthy 
attitude  of  mind  first  and  last.  If  one  must 
study  mathematics,  let  him  see  all  the  good 
things  in  the  work,  and  not  think  on  the  other 
features,  and  soon  he  has  generated  a  liking 
for  it.    This  is  health. 

It  is  good  to  tell  glad  things,  not  to  rehearse 
woes  and  disappointments,  as  in  a  circle  of 
ladies,  but  many  err  in  wanting  to  occupy  all 
the  time  in  their  talking.  Others  wish  to  assist 
in  the  good  work.  You  may  notice  many  on 
such  occasions  holding  their  breath,  watching 


194   HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

to  get  a  chance  to  put  a  word  in  edgewise.  This 
is  not  healthful.  Deeply  breathe  all  the  time, 
and  you  will  get  an  opportunity  to  speak  just 
as  soon. 

We  have  been  told  religiously  to  rejoice  with 
those  who  rejoice  and  to  weep  with  those  who 
weep.  It  has  always  been  the  tendency  to  gos- 
sip, find  fault,  regret,  remorse,  mourn,  weep 
with  those  who  thus  indulge,  but  it  is  not  so 
common  to  rejoice  with  those  who  rejoice.  This 
is  one  reason  why  St.  Paul  emphasized  "  re- 
joice,' '  naming  it  first.  He  as  much  as  said 
to  the  people  to  whom  he  wrote,  the  Eomans, 
and  we  are  all  more  or  less  Eomans,  that  they 
were  doing  enough  or  too  much  of  this  pessi- 
mistic conversation,  and  that  they  must  pay 
more  attention  to  rejoicing  in  others'  success 
and  joys,  as  though  some  soon  became  jealous 
if  they  had  to  listen  to  the  successes  of  others. 
True  sympathy  rejoices  over  others  as  much 
as  over  self. 

Birthday  anniversaries  may  tend  to  make 
their  number  less.  Sometimes  the  young  cry 
for  or  discouragingly  long  for  the  next  birth 


INHIBITION  195 

anniversary,  they  love  the  day  so.  Some  dis- 
like to  think  on  it  or  celebrate  it,  if  the  day 
marks  fifty  or  more.  If  one  can  celebrate  his 
birthday  anniversaries  with  all  good  "  associa- 
tions of  ideas, ' '  he  is  strengthened  to  live  many 
more  of  them,  but  if  the  day  reminds  him  of 
old  age,  which  he  dreads;  of  decline,  senility, 
death,  which  he  fears;  he  had  better  omit  the 
celebration.  If  one  would  like  to  live  in  the 
unseen  as  well  as  he  likes  to  live  here,  he  will 
linger  longer,  for  he  has  rid  himself  of  a  death 
fear  which  causes  life  on  earth  to  shorten. 
Why  not  live  each  day  grandly  and  make  no 
distinction?  Celebrate  them  all  with  ever  in- 
creasing happy  life. 

The  Church  in  some  way,  it  seems,  has  in- 
culcated among  its  followers  that  the  ninetieth 
Psalm  largely  fixes  man's  age  at  seventy  or 
eighty  years.  The  meaning  of  the  ninetieth 
Psalm,  summed  up  in  a  few  words,  seems  to  be 
that  its  writer  thought  the  longevity  of  the 
people  had  been  reduced  to  seventy  or  eighty 
years  by  the  iniquities  of  the  people,  and  he 
beseeches  Gk>d  to  help  the  people  to  return  to 


196  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Him,  to  gladness,  rejoicing,  beauty,  good  works, 
glory,  that  their  lives  may  lengthen.  The 
ninety-first  Psalm  declares  that  long  life  and 
salvation  will  be  the  reward  of  him  that 
"  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High."  The  salvation  denoted  is  to  be  free- 
dom from  the  "  snare  of  the  fowler,"  "  from 
terror  by  night,"  "  the  arrow  that  flieth  by 
day,"  "  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness," 
"  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noonday,"  and 
freedom  from  death  in  the  "  thousand  that 
shall  fall  at  his  side,"  and  the  "  ten  thousand 
at  his  right  hand,"  from  "  evil  and  plague," 
from  the  "  lion  and  adder,"  "  the  dragon." 
The  Psalm  ends,  ' '  With  long  life  will  I  satisfy 
him  and  show  him  my  salvation." 

To  dwell  on  old  age's  usual  accompaniments 
is  to  bring  about  the  undesirable  condition. 
"  The  thing  I  greatly  feared  has  come  upon 
me."  "  Prophecy  tends  to  fulfil  itself."  To 
desire  to  live  longer,  and  think  seventy  years  is 
the  limit,  decreases  vitality. 

In  these  Psalms  are  practically  stated  all  the 
laws  shown  in  the  effects  of  the  emotions  on 


INHIBITION  197 

body  and  mind  building.  Science  to-day  uses 
different  terms  and  different  philosophical 
statements,  but  the  underlying  principles  and 
causes  are  the  same  whether  from  the  psalm 
writer  or  from  the  experimenter  in  the  labora- 
tory, who  is  verifying  God's  being  the  "  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever."  "  With  him 
is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turn- 
ing. ' ' 

Anxiety  as  commonly  felt  for  others  or  self, 
invites  death,  dissolution  of  the  mind  from  the 
body.  It  explains  how  to  "  save  one's  life  is 
to  lose  it,"  and  how  to  "  lose  one's  life  is  to 
save  it."  Dreading  events  for  others  or  self  is 
equally  weakening  and  cowardly.  Some  lives 
are  largely  made  up  of  regrets  for  the  past, 
worries  and  hurries  in  the  present,  fears  and 
dreads  of  the  future.  "  Your  thoughts  are 
your  burdens,  never  mind  them." 

An  old  lady  told  her  physician  that  she  had 
taken  cold,  and  she  knew  it  came  from  '  *  taking 
some  gruel  out  of  a  damp  saucepan,"  for  she 
said  when  she  realized  what  she  was  doing  she 
knew  she  was  "  in  for  it."     Doubtless  this 


198   HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

gruel  act  did  cause  the  cold.  How  could  it  do 
otherwise?    Law  is  law. 

Killing  mosquitoes,  flies,  snakes,  mice  may 
make  us  less  in  all  ways,  or  more,  according 
to  the  reasonable  or  unreasonable  state  of  mind 
in  which  we  do  the  killing.  One  can  destroy  a 
mosquito  in  love,  or  hate,  or  vengeance. 

One  injures  his  wholeness  when  he  tumbles 
over  a  chair,  hurting  himself,  if  he  feels  resent- 
ment toward  it.  God  is  in  a  chair  as  in  a  friend. 
Immaculate  Conception  can  be  practised  in  all 
our  thoughts  and  dealings.  A  pure,  loving, 
considerate,  helpful,  unprejudiced  conception 
in  mind  toward  all  persons,  events,  and  things 
is  possible.  This  is  the  universal  Immaculate 
Conception  which  would  bring  wholeness,  har- 
mony, health,  the  millennium,  heaven,  eternal 
life  now. 

During  the  Civil  War  three-fourths  of  the 
teachers,  two-thirds  of  the  physicians  and 
clergymen,  one-third  of  the  laborers  and  farm- 
ers that  applied  for  service  in  the  war  were 
rejected  on  account  of  lack  of  physical  equip- 
ment.   There  was  an  increase  of  disease  as  the 


INHIBITION  199 

so-called  social  scale  was  ascended,  from  the 
chiefly  heavy  muscle-working  class  to  the 
nearly  exclusively  cerebral  or  brain  workers. 
The  cause  assigned  for  this  "  scale  "  was 
muscle  use  and  pure  air,  the  lack  or  abundance 
of  each.  These  are  not  the  foundational  rea- 
sons. The  emotions  regulate  the  breathing 
when  working  with  mind,  brain,  and  muscle 
or  when  resting  or  asleep.  The  health  follows 
the  emotional  state,  for  all  the  functions  of  the 
body  act  as  the  mind  poises  or  unpoises. 

The  teachers  as  a  class  are  daily  exercised 
emotionally  in  the  most  sensitively  negative 
ways,  and  they  are  under  a  pressure  that  espe- 
cially undermines  health.  The  doctors  and 
clergymen  as  classes  come  next  in  a  general 
way  in  this  emotional  line.  The  laborers  and 
farmers  as  classes  are  least  negatively  emo- 
tionally exercised.  Previous  to  the  Civil  War 
this  was  more  pronounced  than  now,  because 
their  career,  prospects  were  brighter. 

If  poise,  peace,  self-control,  cheerfulness, 
good-will  had  been  equally  present  in  these 
three  classes,  in  spite  of  their  peculiar  tempta- 


200  HEALTH    THEOUGH  SELF-CONTKOL 

tions  to  negativity,  the  rejection  rate  would 
have  been  about  the  same  for  all  classes. 

Nurses  are  not  easily  healthy  if  working 
steadily  with  patients.  They  must  breathe 
more,  relax,  cultivate  patience,  good-will,  dwell 
on  the  brightest  condition  and  outlook  if  they 
would  help  patient  and  self  most.  It  is  not 
selfish  to  try  to  make  oneself  better  that  he 
may  make  another  better.  Mothers  encounter 
much  unhealthful  vibration.  Hence  a  mother 
ought  to  consider  her  surroundings,  gird  up 
her  loins,  put  on  the  breastplate  of  righteous- 
ness that  her  soul  may  abide  in  peace  and  peace- 
ful work  to  the  "  building  up  "  of  all. 

Mediums,  mind-readers,  and  clairvoyants  are 
not  usually  in  health.  They  are  subject  to 
states  of  mind,  helpful  or  harmful,  according 
to  the  kind  of  receptivity  they  must  assume 
to  accomplish  their  work.  Mediums  suffer 
much  deterioration  from  their  whole  organiza- 
tion, being  at  times  under  very  nervous  nega- 
tive influences. 

Eiches,  ease,  luxury  lead  to  inactivity  every 
way,  non-sympathy  for  others,  lordliness,  pas- 


INHIBITION  201 

sive  pleasure,  and  it  often  is  as  easy  for  a 
camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  (the 
Needle's  Eye  Grate)  as  for  a  rich  man  to  resist 
these  negative  influences.  His  kingdom  of  har- 
mony is  made  inharmonious,  and  so  is  his 
health,  his  wholeness.  There  is  no  necessity  to 
be  receptive  to  any  influence  but  the  best.  This 
is  scientific. 

From  the  indulgence  of  society,  in  conversa- 
tion, customs,  acts,  habits,  beliefs  that  are 
negative,  depressing,  pessimistic,  repressing, 
as  shown  by  the  foregoing  rambling  review, 
it  is  easily  seen  that  reform  in  all  these  ways 
must  take  place  if  lack  of  health  of  all  kinds 
is  to  be  replaced  by  a  rich  supply  of  health. 
To  repeat,  conversation  is  regulated  by  the 
emotional  states,  and  conversation  in  general 
indicates  the  wholesome  or  non-wholesome  con- 
dition of  body,  mind,  and  spirit  just  as  clearly 
as  the  emotions  do,  "  For  out  of  the  abundance 
of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. ' '  Emotional 
self-control  is  health.  Emotional  non-self-con- 
trol is  non-health  and  disease.  Inhibition  is 
salvation. 


202  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

Man's  conscious,  objective  mental  equipment 
or  development  is  a  loss  or  gain  to  him;  if 
poise  evolves,  it  is  a  gain;  if  non-poise,  it  is 
a  loss.  The  lower  animals  have  less  conscious 
or  objective  mind,  and  therefore  they  have  less 
possibility  for  good  or  bad  development  as  to 
health,  at  least.  Man  has  left  the  "  Garden 
of  Eden ;  ' '  he  cannot  return ;  he  must  not  look 
back  to  less  responsibility;  he  must  avoid  the 
attitude  of  Lot's  wife  if  he  would  advance; 
he  must  pioneer  bravely  and  successfully.  If 
he  weakens,  fears  his  environment,  he  will  melt 
down  to  the  lowest  level  of  life,  as  a  pillar  of 
salt  may  on  account  of  its  elemental  surround- 
ings. 

Savages,  wild  men,  "  lower  animals  "  have 
more  health,  in  their  measure,  than  civilized 
man  in  the  main.  Chiefly  environment  affects 
the  lower  animals  for  good  or  for  bad,  but  the 
"  upper  animals  "  have  this  to  encounter,  and 
to  encounter  it  with  a  negative,  discouraged 
conscious  mind  is  to  do  less  nobly,  to  be  less 
whole,  than  the  "  lower  animals." 

"  Work  out  your  own  salvation  midst  fear 


INHIBITION  203 

and  terror,  for  God  is  energizing  in  you  both 
to  will  and  to  do  for  the  sake  of  his  approba- 
tion.' '  What  were  the  fear  and  terror  of  St. 
Paul's  times?  Religious  opposition,  punish- 
ment, disgrace,  death  to  all  believers  in  the 
new  "  Way,"  and  all  the  temptations  of  the 
flesh  then  as  now  prevalent.  What  are  the  fear 
and  terror  of  to-day,  preventing  one  from 
working  out  his  salvation?  Competition,  hurry, 
worry,  impurity,  delight  in  riches.  The  bal- 
anced use  of  mind  leading  into  spirituality  is 
salvation. 

There  is  no  chance  in  the  universe  or  in  one 's 
life.  If  we  use  God  well,  we  are  used  well  and 
are  well.  If  we  misuse  him,  we  are  misused 
and  "  there  is  no  health  in  us."  Unless  we  be- 
come as  little  children  we  cannot  get  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  or  harmony  developed  in  us. 
To  have  the  trust,  fearlessness,  simplicity, 
and  love,  like  that  of  the  model  natural  child, 
plus  harmonious,  intelligent  development  as 
time  goes  on,  is  to  work  out  a  salvation  midst 
fear  and  terror,  but  the  fear  and  terror  will 
not  find  any  room  in  our  consciousness. 


204  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

A  Christian  lady  declared  that  she  was  so 
troubled  with  hurry  that  her  health  was  rap- 
idly departing.  She  hurried  and  worried  in  her 
daily  business,  hurried  home,  hurried  while 
eating,  hurried  to  church,  to  Sunday  school, 
hurried  her  pupils  in  class.  She  could  not  help 
it;  it  was  no  use  to  try.  Her  parents  always 
hurried  and  worried,  and  she  had  from  the 
beginning.  She  was  asked  if  she  believed  there 
was  truth  in  Jesus'  declaration  and  invitation: 
"  Come  to  me  all  who  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you  and  learn  from  me ;  for  I  am  gentle 
and  kind-hearted;  and  you  will  find  rest  for 
your  souls;  because  my  yoke  is  easy  and  my 
burden  is  light. ' '  She  answered  yes.  The 
reply  was  made  that  if  one  cannot  get  rid  of 
hurry,  get  self-control,  then  this  declaration 
is  meaningless ;  for  Jesus  said  in  Palestine  that 
he  could  cure  people's  bad  habits  if  they  would 
come  to  him,  stay  with  him  if  necessary.  He 
made  good  this  promise  practically.  The  truth 
he  lived  then  can  be  imbibed  now,  and  the  same 
results  of  peace  will  follow,  but  we  must  make 


INHIBITION  205 

a  business  of  it ;  there  is  no  chance  or  accident 
anywhere.  If  the  Church  cannot  verify  this 
psychological  and  physiological  statement  of 
Jesus,  why  should  a  worldly  man  be  attracted 
to  become  a  church-member  1  This  lady  is  hur- 
rying less,  working  and  teaching  better,  and  is 
realizing  that  there  is  a  wide  difference  between 
accepting  intellectually  a  truth  and  living  a 
truth.  Faith  becomes  faith  and  works.  A  suc- 
cessful career  is  open  to  us  on  no  other  basis. 
Free  will,  free  agency,  responsibility  can  have 
no  meaning  elsewise.  One  can  become  poised, 
peaceful  while  he  is  actively  at  work,  physically 
and  mentally,  under  all  circumstances,  and 
have  that  peace  which  "  passeth  understand- 
ing,' '  which  at  the  same  time  gives  energy, 
health. 

Another  good  lady  said  she  had  listened  to 
twelve  speakers  during  three  religious  meet- 
ings, and  had  made  copious  notes  thereon.  She 
said  the  exercises  were  very  spiritual,  uplift- 
ing, and  restful,  but  that  she  had  lost  five 
pounds  in  flesh  during  the  attendance,  and  was 
so  tired  that  she  was  going  to  a  quiet  town  to 


206  HEALTH    THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

recuperate.  Here  is  the  point.  If  one  is  poised, 
self-controlled,  peaceful,  he  will  be  able  to  do 
such  work,  and  not  use  any  more  energy  than 
he  daily  and  hourly  generates.  Tenseness  con- 
sumes quickly.  Of  what  use  is  Christianity, 
peace,  and  good-will  in  practice  if  a  Christian 
cannot  work  within  poised  limits  and  be  a 
strength  by  the  indwelling,  power-giving  law  of 
love? 

Let  us  have  a  living  distinction  physically, 
mentally,  morally,  spiritually  between  Chris- 
tian and  non-Christian  life.  Or  call  all  life 
more  or  less  in  tune  with  the  Infinite,  but  surely 
more  of  this  "  tune  "  in  the  Christian  than  in 
the  non-Christian. 

A  Sunday-school  worker  declared  that  her 
good  superintendent  was  a  "  perfect  "  man, 
and  yet  he  was  working  himself  to  death  and 
was  ill  now  most  of  the  time.  Did  he  fret? 
Did  he  ever  lose  his  temper  in  Sunday  school? 
Oh,  yes,  he  had  reason  for  it.  Did  his  children 
love  him  and  trust  him?  Was  there  harmony 
all  day  and  night  with  wife,  mother-in-law? 
Well,  he  "  made  things  go."    He  "  believed  in 


INHIBITION  207 

law  and  order."  He  gave  much  to  the  church, 
money.  Did  he  give  poise,  peace,  harmony, 
gladness,  gentleness,  purity,  mildness,  patience, 
also!  "  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men 
that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify 
your  Father  which  is  in  Heaven. ' '  Remember, 
"  glorify  "  means  to  give  a  grander  character 
to  the  "  Father  "  and  to  imbibe  more  of  that 
character.  To  be  a  "  perfect  "  man  means 
business,  and  when  it  is  a  successful  business, 
fretting  and  sickness  will  disappear  as  the 
"  perfect  "  man  appears. 

A  person  who  said  she  had  taken  a  course 
of  twelve  lessons  in  spiritual  truth,  of  a  noted 
teacher  and  lecturer,  remarked  that  she  under- 
stood what  it  was  to  be  truly  spiritual  now, 
and  that  it  was  so  lovely  to  go  into  the  silence 
and  dwell  on  spiritual  thoughts.  She,  however, 
asked  if  she  could  be  given  a  course  in  men- 
tal and  physical  poise  through  diaphragmatic 
breathing,  as  she  found  that  she  was  very  easily 
irritated  by  her  husband  and  her  children;  so 
now  she  needed  only  poise  to  rectify  that  weak- 
ness.   The  reply  given  to  her  was  that  spiritu- 


208  HEALTH   THEOUGH  SELF-CONTROL 

ality  is  poise  with  everybody,  everything,  every 
fact,  and  that  it  includes  love.  Efficient  breath- 
ing will  bring  poise,  but  if  one  is  perfectly 
spiritual  he  need  pay  no  conscious  attention  to 
his  breathing  or  his  poise,  for  spirituality  in- 
cludes adequacy  in  both. 

It  is  recorded  that  after  his  resurrection 
Jesus  appeared  to  the  disciples  locked  in  an 
upper  room,  in  terror  of  the  non-believing 
Jews.  They  were  full  of  fear  and  disappoint- 
ment. He  said  to  them,  '  '  Peace  be  unto  you. ' ' 
They  soon  recognized  that  it  was  Jesus  and 
lost  their  fear  and  disappointment,  for  they 
felt  gladness  and  safety  were  now  theirs.  They 
became  overjoyed,  hysterically  so,  and  he  again 
said,  "  Peace  be  unto  you."  Overjoy  is  as 
harmful  as  fear,  and  he  thus  taught  them  the 
lesson  of  spiritual  poise.  After  he  had  told 
them  they  were  in  the  world  to  do  similar  work 
to  that  he  had  been  doing,  and  that  they  must 
do  it  everywhere,  and  that  signs  would  follow 
them,  signs  of  wholeness,  he  then  "  breathed 
(on  them)  and  said  unto  them,  '  Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost.'  "    Holy  Ghost,  holy  spirit,  whole 


INHIBITION  209 

spirit  are  equally  good  translations.  Whole 
spirit  must  be  the  God-kind,  for  God  is  spirit, 
and  we  characterize  "  Spirit  of  God  "  to  be 
perfect  love,  gladness,  peace,  patience,  —  the 
fruit  of  the  spirit.  The  disciples  had  just  lam- 
entably shown  no  whole  spirit,  —  first  fear, 
then  overjoy.  Spirit,  from  spirare,  to  breathe, 
is  related  to  breath  thus:  If  one  is  spiritual, 
full  of  love,  peace,  purity,  that  state  of  mind 
induces  perfect  breathing.  If  one  enjoys  ade- 
quate breathing  in  an  all-round  way,  he  is 
spiritual.  It  used  to  be  taught,  and  possibly  is 
so  taught  now,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  some 
individual  entity,  a  possession  to  be  longed  for, 
yet  at  times  to  be  dreaded,  to  feel  mysterious 
about,  some  even  thinking  that  it  made  a  noise 
in  its  passage  into  the  converted.  It  is  scientific 
to  believe  that  one  can  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  only  by  a  transforming  process  of  the 
states  of  consciousness  and  subconsciousness  by 
the  renewing  of  the  mind.  The  disciples  had 
given  away  to  fear,  then  to  overjoy.  They 
were  told  to  receive  whole  spirit,  fearless,  lov- 
ing, uniform  poise,  self-control  into  their  body, 


210  HEALTH    THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

mind,  soul,  spirit.  The  sin  against  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  in  not  having  or  desiring  whole  spirit, 
poise,  love,  harmony,  or  even  in  objecting  to  the 
very  idea  of  it  in  practice.  Overjoy  is  as 
harmful  as  grief;  it  is  not  poise,  nor  whole 
spirit. 

Mrs.  D.'s  son  was  appointed  by  the  President 
to  a  West  Point  cadetship.  For  a  long  time 
she  had  very  earnestly  wished  for  it.  Three 
days  after  she  received  the  news  of  her  son's 
appointment  she  died.  The  medical  attendant 
said  that  her  death  was  due  to  the  effect  of  the 
ecstasy  she  experienced.  Death  was  gradual. 
The  subconscious  mind  executed  the  unbalanced 
overjoy  in  her  conscious  mind  through  the  sym- 
pathetic nerve  system  into  stopping  gradually 
the  rhythm  of  the  heart.  Other  organs  were 
doubtless  harmed,  but  the  heart  was  the  weak- 
est part  of  the  bodily  machinery. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  in  the  emotions  when  they 
are  controlled,  healthful.  In  the  overjoy,  hys- 
terical gladness,  or  fear,  there  is  only  unholy 
spirit,  unhealthful  lack  of  wholeness.  This 
kind  of  unholy  holy  spirit  that  sometimes  in- 


INHIBITION  211 

duces  uncontrollable  religious  excitement,  lead- 
ing often  to  insanity,  falling  down,  frothing  at 
the  mouth,  rigor  of  the  body,  cannot  be  whole 
or  holy  or  self-controlled,  and  it  disgraces 
Christianity.  In  Christian  lands  to-day  many 
religious  organizations  indulge  in  or  permit 
hysterical  performances  in  revival  meetings, 
prayer-meetings,  in  regular  services. 

The  descendants  of  the  Jews  who  would  not 
receive  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  they  looked  for, 
are  to-day,  as  a  racial  religious  body,  work- 
ing out  and  living  as  sane  a  whole  spirit  or 
holy  spirit  as  (or  saner  than)  the  descendants 
of  the  Jews  who  accepted  Jesus  as  the  Messiah, 
including  all  Christianized  peoples. 

Let  us  reform  this  "  Holy  Spirit."  Let  us 
get  and  live  the  pure  article  as  portrayed  in 
the  life  of  Jesus  on  earth.  Christians  have 
persecuted  Jews.  Jews  have  not  persecuted 
Christians.  This  is  a  good  test  of  whole  or 
holy  spirit.  ' '  Let  us  hew  to  the  line,  no  matter 
how  the  chips  fly  into  our  faces." 

The  close  relation  of  breath,  efficient  breath- 
ing to  whole-spirit  state  of  mind,  that  is,  where 


212  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

whole  spirit  is,  there  is  whole  breath  or  breath- 
ing; and  the  expression  "  he  breathed  (on 
them)  "  leads  the  author  to  refer  to  Notovitch's 
"  The  Unknown  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.,,  This 
volume  relates  that  Jesus  was  absent  from 
Palestine  in  the  wilderness  from  the  age  of 
about  thirteen  to  twenty-nine  years;  that  that 
time  was  spent  with  the  Buddhists  at  Lhasa, 
Thibet,  India,  when  they  were  living  most 
spiritual  lives ;  that  he  went  there  by  the  cara- 
van route  from  Palestine.  His  life  devoted 
there  to  the  poor;  the  contemplative  spiritual 
daily  exercises  in  deep  breathing,  as  is  still  a 
fundamental  Buddhistic  religious  practice;  his 
return  to  Palestine  through  Persia,  where,  by 
his  love  for  and  work  among  the  neglected,  he 
was  threatened  with  death;  his  three  years' 
labor  in  Palestine;  his  death  and  resurrection 
are  also  described.  The  document  from  which 
the  record  is  taken  differs  but  little  from  the 
New  Testament  record,  and  thus:  Pontius 
Pilate  secretly  paid  Judas  Iscariot  to  bring 
about  the  death  of  Jesus,  as  he  feared  his  gov- 
ernorship might  be  endangered  by  Jesus  living. 


INHIBITION  213 

He  had  Judas  Iscariot  privately  put  to  death 
to  cover  his  secret.  The  records  in  the  Bud- 
dhistic convent  at  Lhasa  are  said  to  reveal  all 
this.  Whether  this  is  fact  or  not  fact,  Jesus 
did  spend  this  period  of  time  somewhere  before 
he  sought  John  the  Baptist. 

Many  good  people  believe  that  the  intellec- 
tual states  of  mind  are  of  secondary  impor- 
tance, that  the  spiritual  states  are  the  most 
important  and  reliable.  This  view  comes  about 
by  splitting  the  states  of  consciousness  and 
subconsciousness  into  intellect  and  spirituality. 
Can  an  idiot  develop  much  spirituality?  Spiri- 
tuality is  a  quality,  not  an  entity,  as  we  are 
viewing  it,  on  this  plane  of  life.  The  spiritually 
developed  intellect  is  the  important  result,  and 
the  intellectually  developed  spirit  is  as  impor- 
tant. When  we  trust  to  the  leading  of  the 
spirit,  we  are  simply  following  our  best  devel- 
oped, poised,  whole-spirited  mentality.  The 
spirit  as  such  may  seem  to  lead  one  perfectly, 
but  the  leading  of  to-day  is  often  pronounced  a 
mistake  by  the  best  judgment  of  next  year. 
There  must  be  growth,  improvement;  there  is 


214  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

no  healthful  standstill.  "  Be  ye  therefore 
transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind." 
We  do  "  live,  move,  and  have  our  being  in 
him,"  but  to  us  it  is  practically  more  or  less 
God,  as  we  are  more  or  less  in  tune  with  the 
Infinite.  Our  union  with  him  is  simplicity  in 
principle,  variety  in  phenomena. 

There  is  a  "  survival  of  the  fittest  "  going 
on  now  as  much  as,  and  more  than  ever,  in 
the  past  as  among  the  lower  animals.  Slowly 
changing  environment  in  ages  long  ago  and 
now  have  decided  and  decide  largely  what  ani- 
mals could  or  can  survive. 

Those  who  are  now  living  most  in  hurry, 
worry,  regret,  gossip,  jealousy,  anger,  hate  are 
surrendering  to  an  environment  which  brings 
about  nervousness,  heart  failure,  early  death, 
less  usefulness,  less  happiness.  Those  who  live 
most  in  peace,  courage,  fearlessness,  harmony, 
love  are  the  "  survival  of  the  fittest,"  and 
tempting  environment  harms  them  not.  Let 
us  use  our  conscious  minds  uniformly,  courage- 
ously.   Let  us  see  the  signs  of  the  times  and 


INHIBITION  215 

enter  into  the  "  City  of  Refuge,"  the  whole 
spirit. 

It  is  very  helpful  to  be  in  appearance  and 
disposition  just  that  which  we  like  to  see  in 
others.  Do  we  like  to  meet  long  faces,  dis- 
couraging voices,  woful  telltalers?  It  is  ill 
health  for  them  and  us.  It  prevents  life's  best 
work.  We  love  to  meet  the  cheerful,  the  cou- 
rageous, the  kindly.  It  strengthens  them  and 
us.  "  Let  us  do  as  we  would  be  done  by." 
This  way  of  acting  in  life  will  make  us  all 
practical,  uplifting  missionaries,  home  mission- 
aries for  good,  and  without  consciously  realiz- 
ing it.  Many  think  others  have  no  reason  or 
right  to  smoke,  emit  saliva,  use  profane  lan- 
guage, to  become  intoxicated  in  public  or  else- 
where, but  those  who  go  about  with  sorrowful 
countenances  are  more  unsanitary,  more  dis- 
agreeable, more  unhealthful,  more  unpoised. 
By  this  exemplary  living  — 

"  Others  shall 
Take  patience,  courage,  to  their  heart  and  hand 
From  thy  hand  and  thy  heart  and  thy  brave  cheer, 
And  God's  grace  fructify  through  thee  to  all." 


216  HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTEOL 

THE    FOUNTAIN 

"  Into  the  sunshine, 
Full  of  the  light, 
Leaping  and  flashing 
From  morn  till  night; 

"  Into  the  moonlight, 
Whiter  than  snow, 
Waving  so  flower-like 
When  the  winds  blow  ; 

"  Into  the  starlight 
Rushing  in  spray, 
Happy  at  midnight, 
Happy  by  day ; 

"  Ever  in  motion, 

Blithesome  and  cheery, 
Still  climbing  heavenward, 
Never  aweary ; 

"  Glad  of  all  weathers, 
Still  seeming  best, 
Upward  or  downward, 
Motion  thy  rest ; 

«  Full  of  a  nature 

Nothing  can  change, 
Changed  every  moment, 
Ever  the  same  ; 


INHIBITION  217 

"  Ceaseless  aspiring, 
Ceaseless  content, 
Darkness  or  sunshine 
Thy  element ; 

M  Glorious  fountain, 
Let  my  heart  be 
Fresh,  changeful,  constant, 
Upward  like  thee  I  " 

—  Lowell. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE  SCIENCE  AND  ART  OF  HABIT  FORMATION,  CHAR- 
ACTER AND   HEALTH   BUILDING 

A  physiological  cell  is  a  microscopic  collec- 
tion of  protoplasm  with  a  central  nucleus,  other 
contents,  and  the  enclosing  wall  tissue.  There 
are  about  twenty-seven  and  a  half  trillions  of 
these  cells  in  each  adult  person.  There  are 
about  nine  hundred  millions  of  these  cells  in 
the  cranial  brain.  All  these  cells  composing 
the  body  are  formed  by  vital,  chemical,  elec- 
trical processes  from  the  food,  water,  and  oxy- 
gen taken  into  the  body.  The  blood,  food,  and 
oxygen  are  worked  over  by  the  subconscious 
mind  in  its  laboratories,  helped  or  hindered  by 
conscious  thinking,  into  differentiated  tissues. 
The  tissues  of  the  body  are  continually  grow- 
ing or  being  replenished,  and  as  constantly 
being  worn  out.    The  mind's  building  and  tear- 

218 


HABIT  FOBMATION  219 

ing  down  tissue  is  the  foundation  of  habit. 
Muscle  grows  or  is  built  up,  and  wears  out  by 
use.  Mind,  subjective  and  objective,  is  behind 
or  within  the  use,  whether  it  is  called  instinct, 
reflex  action,  or  habit,  —  mind  is  directing. 
The  brain,  a  muscle  perhaps,  grows,  is  built 
up  and  wears  out  by  use  accompanied  by  mind 
action. 

Prof.  Elmer  Gates  says,  "  Mind  is  the  total- 
ity of  the  subconscious  and  conscious  adaptive 
functions  of  the  organism  in  interaction  with 
the  cosmos. 

"  The  evidence  is  complete  that  demon- 
strates that  every  mental  activity  creates  a 
definite  chemical  change  and  a  definite  anatom- 
ical structure  in  the  animal  that  exercises  that 
mental  activity,  and  that  this  is  the  modus 
operandi  of  animal  growth  and  evolution,  and 
that  by  this  method  more  mind  can  be  embodied 
ad  libitum.  The  evidence  is  complete  that 
shows  every  mentation  also  produces  a  definite 
effect  upon  the  environment  of  the  animal  that 
does  the  mentating.  Action  and  reaction  are 
equal.    Force  cannot  come  from  nothing.    Men- 


220  HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF -CONTROL 

tation  is  a  mode  of  energy,  and  the  organism 
of  the  animal  cannot  create  the  energy  of  life 
out  of  nothing,  but  must  receive  it  from  the 
Great  Eeservoir.  But  the  conclusion  that 
every  mentation  affects  the  environment  is 
based  upon  direct  testimony  and  quantitative 
measurement.  Vary  the  mental  activities  of 
a  unicellular  organism  and  you  will  vary  its 
structures,  and  the  same  is  true  of  a  multi- 
cellular dog  or  man.  Mind  underlies  organic 
phenomena,  and  life  is  mind;  mind-activity  is 
the  cause  of  evolution,  and  mind-embodiment  is 
the  goal. ' ' 

The  cranial  brain  is  convoluted.  This  gives 
more  surface  or  cortex  (mentation  areas),  as 
valleys  and  mountains  have  more  surface  than 
a  plain,  level,  or  spherical  surface.  The  outer 
part  is  gray  matter,  the  inner  white.  In  a 
general  way,  the  ingoing  sensory  nerves  report 
from  all  over  the  body  to  brain  centres  in  this 
gray  matter,  and  the  outgoing  motor  nerves 
from  these  centres  perform  the  mind's  deci- 
sions in  all  parts  of  the  body.  A  sense  impres- 
sion arrives  by  a  sensory  nerve   at  a  brain 


HABIT   FOEMATION  221 

nerve-centre;  the  mind  there  mentates,  thinks, 
reasons  about  the  sensation,  and  executes  its 
decisions  through  a  motor  nerve.  Thinking  also 
takes  place  after  experience  without  this  evi- 
dent sensory  and  motor  apparatus.  This  brief 
description  refers  chiefly  to  the  conscious  mind 
and  cerebro-spinal  nerve  system. 

Cell  tissue  in  the  nerve-centre  brain  struc- 
ture by  thought  action  becomes  a  waste  prod- 
uct going  away  in  the  blood  to  find  exit  from 
the  body.  Blood  circulates  through  the  nerve- 
centre  brain  structure,  replenishing  the  worn 
tissues,  building  more  cells.  This  building  and 
unbuilding  and  increase  of  cells  by  mind  usage, 
along  definite,  repeated  lines,  is  habit,  mind, 
and  brain  structure  growth,  development. 

Habits  of  thought  and  act  are  impressed  into 
the  mind  subconsciously  by  the  conscious  mind. 
Mind  works  in  every  cell  throughout  the  body. 
Every  cell  has  its  desire,  aspiration,  or  des- 
peration. 

The  brain  nerve-centre  structures  will  be 
considered  more  at  length,  but  brain  results 
are  total  body  results  as  to  cause  and  effect. 


222   HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

There  are  forty  nerve-cell  centres  in  the  brain 
cortical  structures  for  mind  activities,  menta- 
tions. Color,  sound,  taste,  touch,  smell,  and 
many  subdivisions  of  sense  experience  have 
their  "  headquarters  "  in  these  nerve-cell  cen- 
tres, brain  areas,  or  structures  for  mentation, 
growth,  development.  On  the  average,  not 
more  than  ten  per  cent,  of  the  possible,  poten- 
tial cells  in  these  brain  structures  are  devel- 
oped. 

Some  of  the  lower  animals  have  been  ex- 
perimented upon  to  prove  that  mind  power, 
and  these  brain  areas  increase  or  decrease 
mutually.  Two  dogs,  e.g.,  are  chosen  for  the 
experiment.  One  is  left  to  care  for  himself, 
the  other  is  educated  in  color  experience.  By 
placing  the  dog's  food  under  differently  col- 
ored covers  at  different  times,  he  is  led  to 
differentiate  color-sensing.  A  red  cover  hides 
his  food  for  a  week,  he  having  found  it  by  turn- 
ing over  covers  till  he  discovers  it.  He  will 
afterward  go  straight  to  the  red  cover  as  long 
as  his  food  is  put  there,  and  once  more  when 
he  does  not  find  it  there.    He  then  turns  over 


HABIT   FORMATION  223 

other  covers  till  he  finds  his  food,  say,  under  a 
green  cover,  and  he  then  goes  straight  to  the 
green  cover  as  with  the  red,  and  similarly  with 
twelve  to  fifteen  different  colors  and  shades. 
During  weeks  or  months  of  such  practice,  the 
color  or  visual  brain  areas  are  receiving  more 
blood,  wearing  down,  building  up,  and  develop- 
ing more  brain  cells,  and  more  mind  for  color 
discrimination  evolves.  After  three  months  or 
more  the  brain  areas  of  the  educated  dog  and 
the  uneducated  one  are  examined.  The  brain 
centre  location  for  color  in  the  former  dog 
may  be  nine  times  more  developed  than  the  cor- 
responding brain  centres  of  the  other  dog. 
Three  months'  experience  is  named  because  a 
fairly  active  brain  gradually  wears  out  and 
rebuilds  in  three  months,  as  possibly  the  whole 
body  does.  The  finger-nail  rebuilds  in  three 
months.  Seven  years  used  to  be  considered 
the  time  required  to  renew  the  body.  Hustle 
seems  to  have  invaded  cell  growth,  too. 

Autopsies  performed  on  the  brain  structures 
of  men  noted  for  mathematical,  musical,  and 
other  development,   show  superior  growth  of 


224  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

brain  areas  in  the  appropriate  locations  of  the 
brain  structures  of  such  men  as  compared  with 
the  corresponding  brain  structures  of  men  not 
at  all  noted  for  mathematical,  musical,  or  other 
development. 

It  is  proved  that  brain  growth  and  mind 
growth  are  about  simultaneous,  the  increase  of 
mind  bringing  forth  increase  of  brain  areas. 
Blood  flows  and  builds  in  response  to  mentation 
and  act.  If  there  is  no  mentation,  there  is  no 
blood  flow,  no  building,  no  act.  Repetition  in 
mind,  subjective  and  objective,  and  repetition 
in  act,  form  habit  and  increase  mind  and  brain 
structure  within  limits,  perhaps,  at  present; 
but  the  possible  convolutions  in  the  brain  sur- 
face, cortex,  offer  almost  unlimited  brain  area. 
The  ' '  act  ' '  may  consist  in  a  muscle  movement, 
or  only  in  the  movement  of  carbon  and  oxygen 
in  chemically  uniting  at  demand  of  thought. 

A  thief  in  ninety  days  has  been  changed  by 
steady  application  of  this  law  of  habit  forma- 
tion to  an  honest  man.  Appropriate  reading, 
discussion,  association,  surroundings  are  super- 
vised, much  thinking  is  induced  as  to  how  he 


HABIT   FOKMATION  225 

feels  when  he  is  robbed  or  when  he  is  treated 
fairly,  till  he  feels  which  is  the  better  for  him; 
then  how  he  thinks  the  other  fellow  feels  when 
he  is  stolen  from,  or  his  rights  of  property 
disregarded.  He  becomes  altruistic.  He  puts 
himself  in  the  other  fellow's  place.  His  mind 
is  thinking  more  honest  thoughts  than  dishon- 
est ones,  is  building  more  honest  brain  cell 
structure,  the  old  thieving  tendency  has  no 
practice,  and  more  and  more  moral  cells  are 
coming  into  use.  The  thief  is  reformed  in 
mind  and  brain  structure.  His  whole  mind, 
conscious  and  subconscious,  his  whole  body, 
every  cell  will  vibrate  to  honest  thought  and 
act. 

A  new  career  is  opened.  A  new  motive 
aroused.  There  is  no  forcing.  Not  even  the 
consent  for  reform  need  be  given  if  one  can 
arrange  satisfactorily  the  environment. 

"  Give  me  the  child  till  he  is  six  years  old," 
says  one,  ' 6  and  you  may  have  him  thereafter. ' ' 
So  powerful  is  the  law  of  habit  formation  for 
good  or  for  bad,  making  it  so  difficult  to  change 
unless  subjected  to  special  training. 


226  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

Smokers  can  quit  smoking  gradually,  if  they 
have  not  will-power  or  desire  enough  to  leave 
off  at  once.  Let  the  person,  whenever  he 
smokes,  dwell  on  all  the  advantages  of  non- 
smoking that  he  can  think  of,  such  as  that  his 
wife,  sister,  parent  dislike  the  smoke  smell 
from  various  points  of  view,  that  he  is  selfish 
in  spending  money  thus  just  for  himself,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  may  get  himself  to  believe 
that  the  nicotine  is  harmful  to  his  blood  oxy- 
genation, depleting  him  in  some  way  finally. 
Three  months  of  this  kind  of  thinking  will 
cause  his  desires  for  smoking  to  be  so  feeble 
that  his  motor  nerves  will  decline  to  work  his 
muscle  even  to  take  up  the  cigar.  The  old 
smoking-desire  brain  cells  go  out  of  business, 
mentally,  physically,  spiritually,  are  starved, 
while  new  non-smoking  desire  brain  cells  ap- 
pear and  increase.  The  whole  mind  and  the 
whole  body  have  a  new  habit.  This  habit  is 
stronger  and  stronger,  more  mind  force,  more 
and  more  cell  force,  as  the  delights  of  non- 
smoking increase. 

Insanity   is   cured   thus    scientifically.     The 


HABIT    FORMATION  227 

insane  person  has  indulged  in  thought  and 
brain-cell  growth  of  a  certain  tendency  until 
he  desires  to  kill  all  his  relatives  who  he  thinks 
wish  to  get  his  property.  Change  his  thinking 
thoroughly  long  enough,  and  you  change  his 
insanity  thought.  Let  him  be  put  into  a  safe 
room  willingly  or  unwillingly,  but  kindly.  Dur- 
ing the  day  awaken  thought  through  his  five 
senses  all  that  it  is  possible.  Put  before  him 
beautiful  colors,  pictures,  scenes,  harmonious 
sounds,  good  music,  add  temperature  and  touch 
sense  impressions,  arouse  the  tasting  and  smell- 
ing powers  in  his  eating.  He  has  no  time  to 
build  or  replenish  the  insane  cell  growth.  New 
thought  with  new  structures  arise  and  increase. 
He  is  sane.    Must  be.    No  choice. 

Criminals  need  reform,  can  be  reformed,  if 
we  would  go  at  the  work  scientifically  as  we 
do  to  learn  the  multiplication  table.  They  are 
put  together  in  an  institution  for  years,  with 
no  definite  opportunity  for  reform  and  with 
surroundings  against  them. 

The  writer  has  had  years  of  experience  with 
private  students  in  breaking  up  very  trouble- 


228   HEALTH   THKOUGH  SELF-CONTKOL 

some  habits  of  long  standing,  and  his  belief  in 
the  possibility  of  reforming  the  worst  habits 
of  life  is  well  founded. 

A  murderer  will  reform  somewhere,  some- 
how, somewhen,  if  it  is  true  that  all  will  finally 
work  out  a  salvation.  Why  not  reform  him 
here?  Scientifically,  individually,  by  the  laws 
of  God  now?  We  Americans  are  not  pleased 
when  we  think  that  countries  of  the  Eastern 
Hemisphere  are  sending  us  much  of  their  worst 
element  and  not  reforming  their  own  people 
by  better  laws.  The  excarnate  beings,  among 
whom  are  some  of  our  relatives  and  friends, 
must  disapprove  of  the  way  we,  the  incarnate 
here,  dump  our  worst  characters  (not  always 
our  worst)  into  the  unseen  realm.  Why  do  not 
spirit  mediums  tell  us  more  about  this?  Such 
news  might  lead  to  earthly  improvement  in 
this  respect. 

Reincarnationists  may  say  that  murderers 
must  gradually  reform  during  many,  more  or 
less,  incarnations,  reincarnations,  excarnations. 
Perhaps  this  is  best,  but  science  is  making  it 
possible  for  more  advance  to  be  made  in  one 


HABIT    FOEMATION  229 

incarnation  than  in  many  in  the  past.  But 
murderers,  all  wayward  people,  little  sinners 
included,  can  be  reformed  here  and  now  if  we 
would  spend  as  much  money  on  scientific  edu- 
cative habit  formation,  on  individual  loving 
work,  as  is  now  spent  on  trials  and  imprison- 
ment. The  period  of  expense  for  reforma- 
tive scientific  teaching  would  be  comparatively 
short.  There  are  ways  whereby  safety  to  the 
public  could  be  guaranteed  while  the  educa- 
tional work  was  going  on  and  after  it  was  com- 
pleted. Some  say  the  murder  mania  is  a  dis- 
ease. Well,  disease  can  be  eradicated.  There 
are  all  degrees  of  insanity  and  of  the  murder- 
ous propensity.  Where  is  the  line  to  be  drawn? 
Our  whole  educational  system  can  be  made 
many  times  more  successful  physically,  men- 
tally, morally,  spiritually,  by  applying  under 
the  most  attractive  conditions  the  scientific 
laws  of  habit  formation,  all-round  mind 
growth.  All  education  can  become  a  joy,  not 
drudgery,  if  correct  motives  be  aroused,  and 
they  can  in  all  cases  be  aroused  in  more  or  less 
time.     The  idea  of  teaching  a  dog  in  color 


230  HEALTH  THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

discrimination  by  associating  it  with  food 
pleasure,  needs  of  the  body  and  mind,  points 
the  way  to  pleasant  success,  even  with  the 
seemingly  most  discouraging  cases  among 
criminals.  A  criminal  is  a  criminal  for  lack 
of  better  motives,  better  possible  career. 

A  New  Haven  judge  sentenced  a  seventeen- 
year-old  boy  to  three  years'  imprisonment. 
The  boy  begged  for  a  life  sentence,  as  his  ca- 
reer was  so  fixed  by  frequent  but  short  impris- 
onments with  other  criminals  in  Massachusetts 
prisons.  He  had  just  enough  good  thinking 
left  to  prefer  the  prison  forever  to  old  tempta- 
tions to  be  met  again  if  freed.  This  boy  could 
easily  be  saved  now. 

The  average  person  can,  by  pleasant  appli- 
cation, acquire  nine  times  as  much  ability  in 
any  direction,  as  mathematical,  musical,  me- 
chanical, become  nine  times  as  patient,  cou- 
rageous, cheerful,  healthful,  moral,  spiritual,  if 
he  lacks  these  qualities.  Some  scientists  be- 
lieve that  cranium  pressure  on  different  parts 
of  the  brain  cortex  prevents  development  of 
certain  mental   qualities,   as  non-development 


HABIT   FORMATION  231 

of  reason  in  an  idiot's  mind.  The  brain  area, 
e.  g.  in  the  gorilla,  where  reasoning  mentation 
would  take  place,  shows  but  little  development 
as  compared  with  that  of  man.  Successful 
operations,  two  at  least,  have  been  performed 
on  a  man  and  a  boy,  whereby  enough  cranial 
bone  has  been  removed  to  allow  brain  and  mind 
growth  in  a  certain  location,  and  insanity  and 
kleptomania  disappeared.  But  with  more 
brain  convolution  possibilities  and  scientific 
application  of  mind  and  habit  formation  and 
cell  increase,  all  hindered  development  can 
surely  be  remedied  or  very  much  ameliorated. 
Ninety-nine  per  cent.,  at  least,  of  undeveloped 
mentality  is  caused  by  heredity  and  environ- 
ment of  a  kind  that  can  be  educated  out  scien- 
tifically. Let  an  idiot  be  faithfully  trained 
alone  by  one  person  who  understands  life  and 
mental  development  laws,  for  a  year  or  more 
steadily,  and  a  scientific  "  miracle  "  will  be 
worked. 

The  "  incorruptible  bodies  "  of  the  New 
Testament  would  be  the  results  of  scientific 
habit  formation.    The  whole  body  can  be  built 


232  HEALTH   THKOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

to  the  spiritual  tune  of  the  mind,  soul.  The 
New  Testament  teaches  this  habit  formation 
law.  "  Seek  and  ye  shall  find,"  "  Ask  and  ye 
shall  receive,"  "  Knock  and  it  shall  be 
opened,"  "  Pray  without  ceasing,"  are  all 
truly  founded  on  this  law.  Formal  transla- 
tion and  interpretation  have  hidden  the  sci- 
ence in  these  quotations.  Pursuing  one  domi- 
nant thought  day  and  night  cheerfully,  with 
belief  in  one's  power  of  self -development  is 
habit  formation  with  success ;  it  is  prayer,  and 
the  "  prayer  of  the  righteous  availeth  much." 
If  one  is  striving  to  reform  and  fails  at  times, 
he  must  take  even  more  courage  and  use  the 
strength  thus  saved  that  he  may  fail  less  and 
less  in  the  future.  These  failures  indicate  that 
the  good  thinking  and  good  cell-building  are  not 
predominating  enough  over  the  bad  to  bring 
uniform  success.  All  traits  of  mind  will  help 
or  hinder  any  selected  trait  which  we  are  es- 
pecially reforming.  When  in  the  mind  con- 
sciously and  subconsciously  asleep  and  awake, 
all  mentation  and  cell-building  are  correct, 
there  will  be  no  failing,  but  perfection  is  the 


HABIT   FORMATION  233 

mark  of  God.  If  we  live  quite  close  to  our  ever 
growing  ideals,  we  are  successful.  It  is  said 
that  Jesus  "  was  tempted  in  all  points  as  we 
are,  but  without  sin."  Sin  is  living  against 
right  judgment.  Evil  may  come  from  uncon- 
scious sin. 

Habits  of  thought  and  action  can  change 
very  suddenly  by  some  very  strong  motives 
being  aroused,  or  by  a  mind  that  has  cultivated 
much  will-power  in  other  directions.  The  great 
power  felt  does  very  quickly  develop  more 
brain  cells,  as  quickly  as  the  suddenness  of 
the  new  hope.  "  Hope  is  an  anchor  to  the 
soul."  As  the  months  go  by,  this  "  setting  " 
becomes  more  and  more  firm. 

A  boy  formed  the  habit  of  whistling  wher- 
ever he  could  whistle.  He  was  sharply  repri- 
manded by  his  teacher  for  whistling  in  school, 
whereupon  he  declared  that  he  had  not  whis- 
tled, but  that  "  it  whistled  itself." 

An  old  retired  soldier,  who  had  during  so 
many  years  always  come  to  immediate  position 
at  the  sound  of,  "  Attention!  ",  was  walking 
home  with  some  packages  from  the  grocer's 


234  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

under  his  arms,  when  an  old  friend  cheerfully 
hailed  him  with,  ' '  Attention !  ' '  The  groceries 
fell  to  the  ground.    Habit  did  it. 

A  pike  and  perch  are  put  into  the  same  ves- 
sel of  water.  They  fight  and  wound  each  other. 
A  glass  partition  is  put  into  the  vessel,  sep- 
arating the  perch  from  the  pike.  They  attempt 
to  meet  "  heads  on;  "  they  hit  the  glass  par- 
tition and  are  stunned.  In  a  few  hours  they 
cease  to  go  toward  each  other.  The  partition 
is  removed.  The  fish  thereafter  avoid  each 
other.  A  new  habit  formed  here  very  quickly. 
A  strong  motive  in  the  memory  was  aroused. 

Frederick  the  Great  caused  buttons  to  be 
sewed  on  the  soldiers'  coat  sleeves  on  top,  near 
the  wrists,  to  prevent  the  face  being  rubbed 
with  the  sleeves.  Now  the  buttons  on  coats  are 
sewed  on  underneath  the  sleeves  of  civilians 
also.  No  need  exists  for  their  presence  there, 
but  a  habit  or  custom  once  formed  is  difficult 
to  change. 

A  former  Emperor  of  Germany  was  walking 
one  morning  with  a  former  Czar  of  Russia  in 
the  gardens  at  St.  Petersburg.    He  noticed  a 


HABIT    FORMATION  235 

soldier  sentinelling  a  place  where  he  could  see 
no  reason  for  it.  He  asked  the  Czar  why  the 
sentinel  was  there.  The  Czar  did  not  know, 
but,  his  curiosity  being  aroused,  he  had  the 
matter  looked  up.  After  several  departmental 
officials,  one  after  another,  had  been  consulted 
without  securing  any  information  as  to  why 
the  sentinel  was  placed  there,  it  was  finally  dis- 
covered that  two  hundred  years  before,  an 
Empress  of  Russia  had,  on  discovering  in  the 
spring  some  snowdrops  growing  thereabouts, 
ordered  a  soldier  to  be  stationed  there  to  pro- 
tect the  rare  and  delicate  flowers  from  tres- 
passers. For  two  hundred  years  successors 
had  been  appointed,  though  no  snowdrops  had 
reappeared. 

Because  we  have  thought  and  done  certain 
things  in  certain  ways  is  not  a  proof  that  we 
should  continue  to  think  and  act  in  the  same 
way.  Be  always  ready  to  give  a  "  reason  for 
the  hope  that  is  in  you.,, 

The  writer  once  carried  a  small  clock  in  his 
hand  from  a  lecture-room,  intending  to  leave 
it  in  an  adjoining  room.    When  he  had  nearly 


236  HEALTH  THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

reached  home,  his  eye  informed  him  that  it  was 
still  in  his  hand.  His  conscious  mind  corrected 
his  subconscious  mind,  which  was  too  fixed,  and 
he  returned  the  clock  to  the  owner.  He  might, 
with  reason,  have  been  acused  of  theft. 

Habits  can  be  too  severely  formed,  can  be 
too  narrow,  not  wide-awake  enough,  the  objec- 
tive mind  not  supervising  often  enough  the  sub- 
jective mind  contents.  It  is  possible  to  become 
too  automatic.  A  bigot,  a  tyrant,  do  not  change 
easily  from  bad  to  good  thinking.  They  do 
not  supervise,  revise,  past  habits  of  mind,  but 
let  them  have  automatic  sway.  All  things  new 
are  not  even  looked  into.  It  is  a  dangerous 
extreme.  All  reform  rests  on  the  openness  of 
the  conscious  mind  to  retain  or  reject  any  hab- 
its of  thought  and  act  formed  in  the  past. 
There  can  be  an  extreme  tendency  to  change. 

Training  of  all  kinds  is  habit-forming.  It 
is  foundational  and  economic.  Less  oxygen  and 
food  are  needed  by  one  who  thinks  and  acts  in 
an  habitual  way,  less  carbon  dioxide  is  formed, 
so  long  as  the  habit  is  an  intelligent,  altruistic 
one. 


HABIT   FOKMATION  237 

We  are  all  bundles  of  habits  and  instincts. 
Habits  are  formed  in  this  life  here  and  now. 
Instincts  are  inherited  and  developed  tenden- 
cies coming  to  us  from  ancestors  and  the  orig- 
inal, God-started  individual  potential  entity. 
Instincts  in  us  are  the  results  of  habits  in  an- 
cestors. We  may  form  a  habit  and  transmit 
it  to  a  son ;  in  him  it  will  be  an  instinct.  Pos- 
sibly in  a  majority  of  cases  habits  are  devel- 
oped instincts,  improved  or  made  worse.  The 
total  heritage  of  a  child  is  given  by  authorities 
as  one-fourth  from  each  parent;  one-sixteenth 
from  each  of  the  four  grandparents;  one- 
fourth  from  more  remote  ancestors. 

The  stored-up  qualities  of  the  subjective 
mind,  whether  they  are  called  heredity,  instinct, 
tendencies,  habits,  results  of  reflex  action  of 
lower  or  inferior  nerve-centres,  are  a  mental 
entity,  force,  seeking  by  the  aid  of  conscious 
mind  unification  in  the  midst  of  variety.  They 
represent  what  the  mind  has  become  by  con- 
scious pioneering,  subconscious  environment 
effect  in  the  race  and  the  present  life  plus  the 
share  of  the  original,  potential,  God-given  indi- 


238  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

vidual  entity.  Kepetition  of  this  mind-atom  in 
the  mental  and  physical,  somewhere,  sometime, 
somehow,  has  resulted  in  our  present  states  of 
total  mind. 

If  reincarnational  philosophy  is  true,  it  does 
not  alter  the  laws  of  heredity,  it  helps  to  prove 
them.  Instinct  can  be  seen  in  the  different 
gaits  and  original  dispositions  of  people,  in 
the  smelling  trait  of  the  dog;  possibly  in  the 
persisting  appendix  vermiformis  and  large 
colon  in  man,  not  now  needed  as  in  former 
ages.  The  subjective  mind  builds  what  it  has 
gotten  used  to  building,  and  will  so  build  until 
environment  and  conscious  mind  alter  the 
building.  We  do  not  yet  begin  to  realize  how 
much  one  can  change  his  inherited  parts  or 
generate  new  ones  by  mind  power  consciously 
and  scientifically  applied,  as  is  done  among 
the  lower  animals  and  plants  by  themselves 
or  by  man. 

A  snail  losing  an  eyestalk  grows  another  one ; 
a  lobster,  a  claw.  Man  may  profit  by  these 
hints  if  he  can  develop  a  subconscious  chemist- 
building  mind  that  can  do  as  well  as  the  lob- 


HABIT   FORMATION  239 

ster.  Many  instances  are  related  in  which  it 
is  proved  that  man  and  the  lower  animals  have 
shown  wonderful  reproduction  of  parts.  A 
man  rides  on  horseback  and  sleeps  while  keep- 
ing his  balance.  This  is  not  building  a  new 
organ,  but  it  is  an  extension  of  subjective  com- 
mand to  bring  about  new  strength. 

Affirming  grand,  hopeful,  courageous  states 
of  mind  in  the  early  morning  with  deep  breath- 
ing, assists  to  carry  out  these  conditions  during 
the  day.  These  ideals  are  founded  on  the  al- 
mighty law  of  habit.  Husbands  and  wives  who 
disagree  disagreeably  can  become  harmonious 
by  this  morning  practice,  adding  "  shaking 
hands  "  with  each  other,  laughing  together, 
saying  some  cheerful  words,  —  even  if  this  is 
begun  in  a  mechanical  way,  much  happiness 
and  health  will  come.  The  habit  grows.  Habit 
is  a  cable,  and  we  build  it  strand  by  strand. 

Decide  consciously  which  are  your  desirable 
and  undesirable  qualities  of  mind  and  action, 
whether  instinct  or  habit  products;  make  up 
your  mind  to  put  the  undesirable  out  of  busi- 
ness by  "  setting  up  in  business  "  the  desira- 


240  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

ble.  Make  it  a  glad  work,  just  as  one  can  learn 
farming,  chemistry,  piano-playing  happily  if 
lie  will  see  the  law  of  success ;  use  every  motive 
for  perseverance,  dwelling  on  the  good  results 
to  himself  and  others.  The  emotional  laws 
must  be  taken  advantage  of  in  habit-form- 
ing, always  positive,  optimistic,  substitutional, 
cheerful,  otherwise  it  will  be  a  sad  habit  that 
you  form,  which  cannot  be  much  improvement 
on  the  undesirable  habit  you  are  getting  rid 
of,  —  it  may  be  a  worse  one. 

Man  can  by  his  superiorly  developed  con- 
scious mind  originate  new  traits  in  animals  and 
plants.  In  a  few  years  a  hunting  dog's  prog- 
eny can  be  developed  into  house  dogs  and  vice 
versa,  — ' '  new  breeds  ' '  in  all  directions  are 
possible.  Different  colors  and  shapes  of  flow- 
ers that  are  desired  are  easily  produced. 

Animal  and  plant  life  change  and  have 
changed  slowly  in  the  past  when  left  to  them- 
selves and  slowly  changing  environment,  but 
when  environment  for  them  is  changed  to  order 
by  man's  conscious  mind,  modification  of  the 


HABIT   FORMATION  241 

forms  quickly  follow.  In  this  direction  there 
is  hardly  a  limit. 

Squirrels  have  worked  out  by  long  environ- 
mental influences  the  instinct  to  bury  nuts  in 
time  of  plenty  for  time  of  scarcity.  Keep  squir- 
rels in  houses,  feeding  them  regularly  with  pre- 
pared food,  for  generations;  if  nuts  can  be 
found  at  the  instinctive  time  for  the  young, 
they  will  go  through  the  form  of  burying  the 
nuts  in  the  rugs  or  floor.  Blind  instinct. 
Doubtless  it  would  take  millions  of  years  for 
the  squirrel  to  undo  instinct:  man  could  in- 
stantly leave  off  a  useless  habit  or  instinct,  his 
reason  directing  him. 

Some  dogs  still  go  through  the  act  of  tramp- 
ing down  the  grass  or  underbrush  for  a  place 
to  lie  in,  as  their  ancestors  learned  to  do, 
though  they  are  preparing  to  lie  down  in  the 
house  in  a  place  prepared  for  them. 

A  hen  sits  on  and  hatches  from  the  duck's 
eggs,  ducklings.  They  soon  enter  the  water  and 
swim.  The  hen  mother  is  puzzled  and  fright- 
ened at  first.  It  is  only  after  some  time  that 
she  learns  to  watch  them  swim,  standing  at  a 


242   HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

safe  distance.  Man  qnickly  adapts  himself  to 
changed  surroundings.  The  hen  might  wait 
centuries. 

The  lower  animals  might  be  called  bigots, 
as  they  are  so  incapable  of  reform,  of  leaving 
off  useless  performances  or  of  taking  on  new 
useful  actions  when  unaided.  Still  there  are 
some  men  and  women  who  hold  on  to  useless 
habits,  practices,  instincts;  some  races,  as  in 
religion,  politics,  farming,  modes  of  locomo- 
tion. Many  say,  "  I  shall  always  do  so  and  so 
because  my  parents,  grandparents,  ancestors 
did  so." 

Ear  muscles,  scalp  muscles,  persist  in  many 
people,  though  man  has  developed  other  means 
for  protecting  his  ears  and  head  from  insects. 
If  man  can  change  the  habits,  instincts,  colors, 
shapes,  sizes  and  the  like,  of  animals  and 
plants,  he  can  much  more  easily  and  quickly 
change  his  own  nature  and  that  of  others,  and 
he  could  if  he  would  go  at  the  work  as  scientific- 
ally and  persistently  as  he  does  with  the  animal 
and  plant.    In  Chapter  V.  much  has  been  said 


HABIT   FORMATION  243 

on  how  to  inhibit  wrong  thinking,  and  hence  to 
make  and  unmake  habits. 

Hurry  is  a  habit,  or  an  instinct,  or  both. 
Three  hundred  years  ago  there  was  no  hurry  in 
the  Englishman,  whose  descendants  now  in  this 
country  are  full  of  hustling  and  hurrying  and 
strenuousness.  Habits  have  changed.  New 
environment  and  new  attractive  opportunities 
have  induced  this  change,  perhaps  partly  by 
long  distances  to  cover  to  "  get  gain,"  to  suc- 
ceed, then  the  laws  of  imitation  and  the  "  asso- 
ciation of  ideas  "  have  taken  root  in  the  chil- 
dren and  the  children's  children.  The  English 
at  home  have  not  taken  on  hurry  and  hustle 
during  these  two  or  three  centuries.  Habits 
can  be  changed,  instincts,  too,  as  here,  by  inci- 
dentally evolved  motives.  Worry  is  a  habit 
or  an  instinct;  breathe  it  away.  Love  is  a 
habit  or  an  instinct;  cultivate  it.  We  teach 
our  children  that  they  can  do  as  we  direct 
them,  but  we  do  not  hold  ourselves  as  respon- 
sible when  we  fail  to  live  our  own  highest  bid- 
ding or  idealizing. 

The  conscious  mind  is  not  forming  habits 


244  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

or  is  not  usually  active  more  than  ten  or  fif- 
teen per  cent,  of  the  time.  It  so  often  lulls, 
reveries,  ceases,  sleeps,  it  is  always  "  full  of 
gaps."  The  subconscious  mind  works  one  hun- 
dred per  cent,  of  the  time,  and  it  can  be  helped 
or  injured  only  during  this  fifteen  per  cent,  of 
the  time  by  the  conscious  mind.  It  does  no  pio- 
neering work  itself. 

One  must  be  as  practical  and  businesslike  in 
reforming  his  mind  as  he  would  be  in  building 
his  muscle,  or  as  an  athlete  is  in  his  training. 
One  is  as  scientific  as  the  other.  The  only  dif- 
ference is  in  the  quality  of  the  mind  and  act 
performance. 

There  is  relative  good  and  bad  coming  from 
a  law,  but  law  is  law.  One  must  know  how  a 
principle  will  always  work  to  be  able  to  plan 
his  actions  for  success.  If  the  law  of  gravi- 
tation should  cause  a  chair  to  go  up  one  day, 
over  or  down  the  next,  no  trust,  or  love,  or  suc- 
cess, or  life  could  develop. 

Prayer,  "  going  into  the  silence,' '  should  be 
as  practical  as  raising  a  crop  of  potatoes. 
There  is  a  kind  of  prayer,  a  kind  of  "  going 


HABIT   FOKMATION  245 

into  the  silence/ '  that  may  produce  no  crop,  or 
a  diseased  crop.  Health  is  a  habit  or  a  bundle 
of  habits  and  instincts.  The  universe  is  a  habit. 
Hope  is  a  habit,  but  a  poet  has  written,  ' '  Who 
hopes  is  already  fallen,"  which  indicates  that 
there  is  a  higher  habit  than  hope.  Paul  said 
it  was  love.  Love  abides.  All  other  mind 
states  are  coming  and  going.  Hope  expects. 
Love  is. 

The  founder  of  Christianity  spent  forty  days 
in  the  wilderness  completing  a  perfect  mastery 
over  all  negative  tendencies,  —  habit  formation 
of  the  highest  type.  Whether  the  record  is  his- 
torical or  symbolical,  the  same  lesson  is  taught. 

The  parable  of  the  ten  virgins  illustrates 
well,  good,  and  bad  habit  forming.  The  five 
who  always  had  oil  on  hand  for  needed  use  had 
success.  The  five  that  "  ran  short  "  of  oil, 
having  no  habit  of  forethought,  plan,  system, 
met  failure.  But  the  chief  point  of  the  para- 
ble is  that  habit  cannot  be  borrowed  for  the  oc- 
casion. It  is  a  process  of  growth,  a  fixture. 
' i  Go  buy  oil  for  yourselves. "  To  be  very  con- 
scious of  the  godlike  law  of  habit  is  to  "  know 


246  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

in  whom  we  believe,' '  and  to  succeed.  It  is 
eternal  life,  or  may  be. 

One  may  say  to  grow  in  grace  by  consciously 
reforming  here  and  there  is  hypersensitive 
work.  The  farmer  knows  what  will  advance 
his  crop  and  what  will  harm  it,  but  he  is  not 
hypersensitive  about  it  if  he  is  a  successful 
farmer. 

We  must  not  become  discouraged  by  com- 
paring talents.  If  one  represents  a  talent  when 
he  comes  to  earth,  let  him  add  to  one  good  habit 
another  good  one.  If  he  comes  representing 
five  talents,  let  him  add  to  those,  five  more  good 
ones.  It  is  one  hundred  per  cent,  improve- 
ment, development  in  either  case.  Working  in 
the  vineyard  for  the  same  pay,  whether  the  la- 
borer went  to  work  at  six,  nine,  twelve,  or 
three  o'clock,  illustrates  this  "  talent  matter." 
We  must  be  sincere,  substantial,  practical  in 
all  habit-forming,  not  simply  wishing,  but  will- 
ing ;  not  simply  being  a  wish-bone,  but  a  back- 
bone; not  simply  wishing  and  thinking,  but 
thinking  and  doing. 

Edwin  Booth,  from  boyhood,  trained  himself 


HABIT    FOEMATION  247 

in  all  graceful  standing,  walking,  and  sitting 
attitudes.  As  an  actor  lie  could  give  his  whole 
attention  to  interpretation  and  impersonation, 
for  his  physical  movements  were  perfectly 
cared  for  by  his  subjective  habit  so  thoroughly 
formed.  He  easily  outranked  all  who 
"  played  "  with  him,  because  their  minds  were 
divided,  distracted,  between  their  conscious 
physical  movements  and  their  conscious  inter- 
pretation and  impersonation. 

Concentration,  or  application  of  mind  on  a 
given  subject,  is  habit.  A  healthful  position 
of  body,  relaxed,  mind  at  peace,  receptive  and 
cheerful,  lead  to  the  most  successful  concen- 
tration and  true  mind  power.  There  can  be 
no  hustle,  strenuousness,  or  hurry  in  healthful 
mind  concentration.  The  breathing  must  be 
rhythmic,  adequate,  continuous.  Concentra- 
tion, as  such,  should  be  scientifically,  regularly 
practised.  It  underlies  all  successful  habit- 
forming. 

So  many  are  hustling,  hurrying,  worrying,  as 
by  habit,  in  everything,  that  poise  is  lost, 
strength  is  weakness,  and  no  true  advance  in 


248  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

life  in  the  best  sense  is  made.  Forming  the 
habit  of  poise  alone,  all  other  good  habits  will 
flow  in  naturally,  easily.  The  five  emotional 
laws  of  health  have  perfect  exemplification 
when  the  subjective  mind  is  eternally  poised. 
' '  Let  us  be  wise  in  our  day  and  generation. ' ' 

The  following  poem  by  J.  G.  Holland  well 
illustrates  habit  forming,  and  is  surely  scientif- 
ically healthful : 

"  Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound  ; 
But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 
And  we  mount  to  its  summit  round  by  round. 

"  I  count  this  thing  to  be  grandly  true  :  — 
That  a  noble  deed  is  a  step  toward  God,  — 
Lifting  the  soul  from  the  common  clod 
To  a  purer  air  and  a  broader  view. 

"  We  rise  by  the  things  that  are  under  feet ; 

By  what  we  have  mastered  of  good  and  gain; 
By  the  pride  deposed  and  the  passion  slain, 
And  the  vanquished  ills  we  hourly  meet. 

"  We  hope,  we  aspire,  we  resolve,  we  trust, 

When  the  morning  calls  us  to  life  and  light, 
But  our  hearts  grow  weary,  and,  ere  the  night, 
Our  lives  are  trailing  the  sordid  dust. 


HABIT    FORMATION  249 

"  We  hope,  we  resolve,  we  aspire,  we  pray ; 
And  we  think  we  mount  the  air  on  wings 
Beyond  the  recall  of  sensual  things, 

While  our  feet  still  cling  to  the  heavy  clay. 

"  Wings  for  the  angels,  but  feet  for  men  ! 

We  may  borrow  the  wings  to  find  the  way  — 
We  may  hope,  and  resolve,  and  aspire,  and  pray, 
But  our  feet  must  rise,  or  we  fall  again. 

"  Only  in  dreams  is  a  ladder  thrown 

From  the  weary  earth  to  the  sapphire  walls  ; 
But  the  dream  departs  and  the  vision  falls 
And  the  sleeper  wakes  on  his  pillow  of  stone. 

"  Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound ; 
But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 

And  we  mount  to  its  summit  round  by  round." 


CHAPTER  VII 

HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY 

If  one  had  to  eat  all  the  time  as  he  has  to 
breathe  all  the  time,  life  would  be  a  struggle, 
because  attention  to  working  and  thinking 
while  eating  and  breathing  would  be  consuming 
indeed.  And  how  could  one  converse?  Even 
breathing,  alone,  is  much  interfered  with  by 
the  average  person  while  working.  Can  you 
think  of  an  arrangement  of  organs  that  would 
permit  breathing  while  swallowing,  and  con- 
versing while  masticating? 

One  is  what  he  eats,  breathes,  and  thinks. 
The  lungs  introduce  the  oxygen;  the  mouth, 
stomach,  and  intestines  introduce  the  food  and 
water  into  the  blood,  the  union  of  the  three. 
The  exits  for  used  food  and  oxygen  are  the 
lungs,  pores,  and  kidneys.  Life  phenomenized 
is  possible  only  by  this  exchange,  this  receiv- 

250 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         251 

ing,  using,  giving  out.    An  equilibrium  among 
all  these  processes  is  health. 

One  eats  (puts  into  his  mouth)  his  weight  in 
food  each  month.  The  mouth  is  the  most  im- 
portant organ  of  digestion,  for  it  starts  all 
food  rightly  or  wrongly.  Its  processes  can  be 
largely  controlled  by  the  conscious  mind.  It  is 
not  so  with  the  stomach  and  intestines.  In  the 
coatings  of  the  mouth  are  glands  and  vascular 
tissue  receiving  saliva  and  mucus  secreted 
from  the  blood  by  that  electro-magnetic  motor 
plant,  the  sympathetic  nerve  system,  run 
by  mind,  the  subjective  mind,  the  chemist 
mind,  soul.  All  the  processes  of  digestion  and 
assimilation,  whether  in  the  mouth,  stomach, 
intestines,  or  other  tissues,  are  thus  alike  man- 
aged. The  solid  food  can  be  broken  down  by 
the  teeth  and  prepared  for  insalivation.  The 
tongue  can  bring  it  more  directly  into  contact 
with  the  mouth  juices.  Liquid  foods  should 
be  retained  in  the  mouth  until  they  are  insali- 
vated and  enjoyed.  Chemical  changes,  diges- 
tion, can  thus  be  properly  begun  in  the  mouth. 


252    HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Starchy  foods  here  chemicalize  into  sugary- 
products. 

Tea-tasters  hold  the  liquid  in  the  mouth, 
dwelling  on  the  flavor  reported  by  the  taste 
buds.  Saliva  flows,  "the  mouth  waters,' '  alka- 
lining  takes  place,  the  keen  pleasure  wanes,  the 
liquid  is  ejected  from  the  mouth.  The  tea- 
taster  has  no  desire,  at  this  stage,  to  swallow. 

As  a  last  resort,  but  it  is  not  advised,  alco- 
holism can  be  gradually  cured  in  this  way: 
A  little  of  the  intoxicating  liquid  is  held  in  the 
mouth,  enjoyed  as  long  as  any  taste  or  pleasure 
is  received.  The  drinker  then  prefers  to  eject 
it  rather  than  to  swallow  it,  for  the  alkalined 
liquor  offers  no  luring  pleasure  to  the  gusta- 
tory buds  in  the  back  parts  of  the  mouth  that 
induce  the  swallowing  process.  Much  pleasure 
has  been  enjoyed  in  the  mouth,  but  very  little 
of  the  alcohol  has  gotten  into  the  blood  circu- 
lation. Drunkenness  does  not  follow.  Food 
masticated  for  pleasure  begins  to  give  more 
enjoyment,  and  the  cure  from  harmful  to  help- 
ful material  put  into  the  body  comes  about  per- 
manently.   One  can  so  masticate  a  raw  onion 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         253 

and  swallow  it  that  his  breath  will  not  carry 
onion  odor.  The  onion  in  this  case  must  be 
made  by  mastication  and  insalivation  into  a 
perfect  soup,  when  all  pleasurable  taste  ceases, 
followed  by  an  insipid  alkaline  one.  The  swal- 
lowing will  not  be  pleasure-giving,  but  as  onion 
is  so  healthful,  it  can  be  swallowed  for  its  own 
sake.  The  model  way  is  to  swallow  as  soon  as 
the  waning  pleasure  of  taste  in  the  foremouth 
becomes  subconsciously  less  than  the  expected 
greater  pleasure  in  the  back-mouth  and  phar- 
ynx. The  swallowing  act  is  the  climax  taste 
pleasure.  Mastication  does  more  than  help  in- 
salivation. It  draws  more  blood  to  the  mouth 
parts,  assists  in  forming  better  saliva  and  more 
of  it.  It  aids  the  heart  in  causing  less  resist- 
ance to  the  pulsing  of  the  blood.  It  leads  to 
better  formation  of  the  jaws,  mouth  shape, 
mouth  muscles,  in  preventing  adenoid  and  ca- 
tarrhal conditions.  The  growing  child  espe- 
cially needs  much  mouth  exercise.  Persons 
living  largely  on  milk  have  heart  and  ear 
troubles.  If  one  has  digestive  troubles,  a  great 
aid,  if  not  finally  a  cure,  is  to  attend  pleasur- 


254  HEALTH    THKOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

ably  to  retaining  in  the  mouth  all  foods  till  a 
soup  consistency  takes  place.  Milk,  for  in- 
stance, must  be  sipped,  be  enjoyed,  and  "  tarry 
awhile.' '  No  rule  about  "  so  many  chews,"  or 
so  many  seconds  for  mouth  work  should  exist. 
Let  enjoyment  of  the  food,  yes,  conscious 
pleasure  in  its  taste,  at  least  for  a  few  days 
or  weeks  at  meals,  if  one  needs  an  improved 
appetite,  be  the  rule.  The  subjective  mind 
will  do  the  rest  well  and  best  after  a  little  time 
of  conscious  eating.  If  one  will  cheerfully, 
pleasurably  eat,  he  is  poised,  he  will  breathe 
better,  all  the  digestive  juices  will  be  better 
formed,  all  digestion  will  go  forward  better 
and  better  unto  perfection.  The  effect  of  the 
poised,  cheerful,  pleasurable  mind  state  brings 
about  all  the  positive  emotional  results  that 
have  been  before  stated.  "  Whatsoever  you 
do,  whether  you  eat  or  whether  you  drink,  do 
it  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  What  is  more 
to  "  glory  "  than  to  build  well  body  and 
mind? 

After  a  time  "  watering  of  the  mouth  "  will 
be  a  correct  guide  as  to  what  is  best  to  eat. 


HOW   TO   EAT  HEALTHFULLY         255 

Does  the  reader  think  this  too  physical,  ani- 
malish?  There  are  at  least  five  sense  organs, 
eye,  ear,  nose,  mouth,  skin.  The  eye  pleasures, 
as  in  looking  at  nature  or  a  painted  picture, 
we  delight  in.  The  ear  music  we  cultivate. 
The  same  practice  should  be  followed  with  all 
the  so-called  physical  senses.  Enjoying  a  pic- 
ture is  not  too  physical,  neither  is  enjoying 
food.  One  need  not  look  forward  to,  nor  back- 
ward upon,  imagined  food  tastes.  This  con- 
scious training  for  a  normal  from  an  abnormal 
appetite  need  not  be  conspicuous,  need  only 
be  known  by  the  practiser.  Conscious  enjoy- 
ment of  the  food  while  it  is  in  the  mouth  is 
the  secret  of  the  success.  After  a  time  one 
need  not,  will  not,  be  so  conscious  of  the  pro- 
cess, because  the  subconscious  mind  will  be  so 
well  educated  in  this  line  that  normal  eating 
will  continue  of  itself,  but  the  best  digestion 
can  be  obtained  by  this  conscious  pleasure,  just 
as  a  walk  is  more  exhilarating  when  the  sce- 
nery and  air  are  enjoyed.  Practice  in  seeing 
all  there  is  in  a  picture  soon  makes  the  process 
less  conscious,  but  not  less  receptive. 


256  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

The  mouth  is  the  only  seeable  or  regulatable 
part  of  the  alimentary  canal,  so  cultivate  this 
"  sacred  portal  "  in  its  divinest  product.  The 
saliva  that  flows  while  one  is  eating  thus  poised 
is  bacteriacidal  and  a  perfect  rinser  and  clean- 
ser of  the  teeth.  When  the  food  is  not  properly 
insalivated,  bacteria  alive  may  pass  into  the 
stomach.  The  gastric  juice  of  the  stomach  in 
such  a  case  is  not  sufficiently  bacteriacidal. 
The  intestinal  juices  and  alkaline  blood  are 
said  never  to  be  wholly  bacteriacidal,  so  the 
sentinel  mouth,  being  unfaithful,  the  citadel  is 
taken  by  the  enemy.  The  inefficiently  used 
mouth  and  stomach  digestive  juices  also  make 
the  spleen,  pancreatic  and  intestinal  juices, 
bile,  and  blood  more  non-vital.  Be  true  to  your 
mouth  digestion  and  success  will  follow. 

When  a  poisonous  acid  is  taken  into  the 
mouth,  much  more  saliva  than  usual  flows ;  the 
parotid  glands,  then  emptying  earward  into  the 
mouth,  add  their  secretions  to  the  sublingual 
and  submaxillary  gland  products,  to  dilute  the 
acid  and  diminish  the  danger.  This  helpful 
act  is  said  to  be  due  to  reflex  action,  but  the 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         257 

subconscious  mind  is  doing  it  all,  causes  the 
reflex  action.  We  build  better  than  we  know. 
Appetite  ought  to  be  hungry.  WThen  the  body 
is  about  to  lack  protoplasm  for  further  work, 
if  at  all  normal,  it,  the  subjective  mind,  will 
ask  for  food,  —  then  is  the  time  to  eat.  Wild 
animals,  wild  men,  the  Simians,  do  thus.  To 
eat  three  times  per  day  because  meal-time 
comes,  may  be  hurtful  or  helpful,  according  to 
the  physical  needs.  But  it  is  often  a  general 
inconvenience  to  have  meals  irregularly,  yet 
one  can  eat  little  at  each  meal,  or  vary  to  suit 
the  needs.  Do  not  eat  by  an  unvarying  rule 
of  time  and  quantity.  It  is  best  to  eat  only 
when  hungry.  This  way  brings  quickly  better 
health  in  body  and  mind.  One  at  least  need  not 
eat  between  meals.  Apply  the  eight  hour  a  day 
labor  law  to  the  digestive  apparatus,  and  it  will 
not  "  strike.' '  WTien  one's  appetite  is  normal 
and  instinctive,  it  will  decide  what  is  best  to 
eat,  how  much  to  take,  when  to  take  it,  how 
much  insalivation  is  needed,  and  when  all  is 
ready  for  swallowing  into  the  stomach,  and  all 
this  will  be  done  in  highest  pleasure.    In  such  a 


258  HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

condition,  some  particular  simple  food  will  be 
desired,  preceded,  accompanied,  and  followed 
by  "  watering  of  the  mouth."  One's  whole 
body  and  mind  becomes  thus  grandly  vital  and 
expressive.  An  appetite  that  is  vitiated  and 
fickle  indicates  a  discontented  mind  and  body; 
there  will  be  an  "  all-goneness  "  sensation 
throughout  the  system,  a  craving  at  the  stom- 
ach. The  feeling  is  all  indefinite,  and  such  an 
appetite  will  accept  something,  anything,  to 
stop  or  alleviate  these  indigestive  sensations. 

It  is  a  pleasure  while  training  for  a  normal 
appetite  to  test  consciously,  occasionally,  the 
correct  suggestive  ability  of  the  subconscious 
chemist  mind.  Let  the  eye  and  nose  and  all 
senses  possible  take  what  note  they  can  of  the 
different  foods  displayed,  or  even  thought  on. 
If  successful,  or  if  the  food  is  there  that  is 
truly  needed,  you  will  recognize  certain  food 
that  will  quickly  make  the  "  mouth  water," 
and  if  you  masticate  it,  sweet  appeasement  will 
immediately  follow.  You  will  note  that  certain 
other  food  suggests  no  watering  of  the  mouth 
or  any  pleasure.    Follow  more  and  more  the 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         259 

growing  guide.  Those  who  have  fasted  know 
how,  during  the  first  meal  after  the  fast,  they 
enjoyed  the  sweet  satisfaction  of  a  true  appe- 
tite, hunger,  and  how  the  insalivation  was  pro- 
longed, and  swallowing  did  not  occur  until  all 
was  ready. 

Enjoyment  and  "  watering  of  the  mouth  " 
while  the  food  is  in  the  mouth,  or  even  before, 
are  the  healthful  conditions  of  eating,  and  swal- 
lowing must  be  natural  or  just  on  time.  This 
all  means  that  one  must  or  will  eat  in  cheerful- 
ness, poise,  kind-heartedness,  light-heartedness, 
a  salvation  state  of  mind.  There  will  be  no 
hurry,  worry,  hustle,  faultfinding;  concoct- 
ing dishes  to  tickle  the  palate  will  not  even  be 
thought  of. 

The  stomach,  after  such  mouth  work  as  indi- 
cated, can  easily,  pleasurably,  all  consciously, 
yet  subconsciously  to  one,  make  over  its  chemic 
contents  with  gastric  juice,  hydrochloric  acid, 
into  chyme,  a  milky  consistency,  suitable  to 
enter  the  intestines  for  further  and  emulsory 
changes  by  aid  of  the  intestinal  and  other 
juices,  as  bile,  that  it,  as  chyle,  may  permeate 


260  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

through  the  intestinal  wall  coatings  into  the 
mesenteric  gland,  into  the  thoracic  duct,  into 
the  left  sudelavian  vein,  into  the  blood  circula- 
tion in  which  it  meets  the  oxygen  that  comes 
there  through  the  lungs.  Blood  is  thus  formed, 
body-building  being  the  subconscious  aim.  If 
too  much  food  goes  to  the  stomach,  not  enough 
gastric  juice  can  be  supplied  for  all  of  it.  The 
blood  is  devitalized,  partly  by  trying  to  furnish 
enough  of  the  acid  for  too  much  food;  all  the 
food  is  not  needed  by  the  body;  the  excess  is 
a  nervous  burden  to  the  digestive  apparatus. 
Such  gastric  juice  is  reduced  in  quality  till  it 
is  not  bacteriacidal,  and  the  intestines  are  open 
to  attack. 

If  mastication  is  thorough  and  the  taste 
thoroughly  enjoyed,  the  stomach  will  "  water," 
its  juices  will  flow  at  their  best  into  the  food 
from  its  glands.  The  bile,  pancreatic  juice, 
spleen,  intestinal  juices,  will  all  act  in  like  good 
manner.  It  behooves  us  to  consciously  assist 
the  subconscious  mind  that  is  directing  all  these 
chemical  changes  and  merely  gladness  and  en- 
joyment of  the  food  may  make  the  difference 


HOW   TO    EAT    HEALTHFULLY         261 

between  digestion  and  indigestion.  "  I  call  on 
you,  brethren,  by  the  divine  mercies,  to  prepare 
your  bodies  a  holy,  living  sacrifice,  well  pleas- 
ing to  God,  your  rational  service. ' ' 

The  stomach  cannot  well  do  its  work  and  that 
of  the  mouth,  too.  Their  work  is  largely  dif- 
ferentiated. The  stomach  cannot  grind  and 
alkaline  well.  The  mouth  can.  The  small  in- 
testines cannot  well  do  their  work  and  that  of 
the  mouth  and  stomach.  When  they  attempt 
it,  one  may  have  intestinal  indigestion. 

When  a  piece  of  solid  food,  as  meat,  passes 
into  the  stomach  unprepared,  it  may  cause  fer- 
mentation, gases,  and  pain  in  trying  to  pass 
out  of  the  stomach  through  the  pylorus,  the 
outlet,  before  it  is  properly  ready.  The  sub- 
jective mind,  by  reflex  action,  finally  may  allow 
the  solid  to  pass  into  the  smaller  intestines, 
and  still  undigested  it  may  reach  the  caecum, 
the  vestibule  to  the  ascending  colon,  where  is 
located  the  appendix  vermiformis.  By  pres- 
sure and  clogging  here,  the  appendix  may  be 
so  twisted,  constricted,  and  even  filled,  that 
blood  circulation  in  its  walls  may  be  so  reduced 


262  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

that  inflammation  and  catarrh  will  follow. 
This  is  appendicitis.  Gastritis,  bronchitis,  and 
all  the  "  itises  "  are  similar  conditions  in  the 
corresponding  organs  as  to  efficient  blood  and 
its  circulation.  The  condition  of  mind  that 
leads  to  imperfect  mastication,  which  is  usu- 
ally hurry,  worry,  hustle,  acts  badly  on  all  the 
functions.  The  blood  will  fall  below  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  of  oxygen.  The  fermenting  food 
in  the  colon  will  increase  bacterial  life;  these 
animalcules  will  soon  reach  the  blood  circula- 
tion, and  the  whole  system  will  show  disease. 
All  the  negative  results  of  the  emotions  will 
be  in  full  force. 

Plato  said,  "  From  the  kitchen  come  all  our 
woes."  It  might  be  revised  to,  "  From  the 
mouth  come  all  our  woes.,, 

Masticate,  insalivate,  thoroughly  all  foods 
with  delicious  enjoyment,  and  appendicitis  will 
not  appear.  It  is  not  what  we  eat,  but  what 
is  digested  into  the  blood  that  affords  life. 
Within  limits,  the  less  one  masticates  and  in- 
salivates, the  more  he  eats,  and  the  more  one 
masticates  and  insalivates,  the  less  he  eats. 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         263 

Stomach  craving  is  not  a  trustworthy  sign  of 
real  hunger,  nor  is  stomach  fulness  a  true  sign 
that  the  body  is  well  fed.  The  less  one 
"  tickles  the  palate,"  and  the  more  he  tickles 
the  stomach  and  intestines,  the  better  eater  he 
is.  "  Tickling  the  palate  "  does  not  mean 
simple,  cheerful,  enjoyable  eating,  but  a  look- 
ing after  new  tastes  and  pleasures  as  such, 
which  leads  to  overeating,  insufficient  insaliva- 
tion.  Tickling  the  stomach  and  intestines 
would  be  delighting  them  by  the  mouth's  doing 
its  work  cheerfully,  enjoyably,  thoroughly. 
One  working  into  a  normal  appetite  will  soon 
find  himself,  without  consciously  planning  it, 
eating  only  a  half  or  a  third  as  much  food  as 
formerly  with  his  vitiated  appetite.  Under  an 
abnormal  appetite,  much  of  the  food  eaten  does 
not  reach  the  blood ;  it  largely  leaves  the  body 
as  faeces.  Under  a  normal  appetite,  eating  one- 
third  the  usual  amount,  nine-tenths  of  it  gets 
into  the  blood.  Fermentation  and  gases  will 
cease.  The  faeces  will  be  odorless,  and  not 
more  than  a  tenth  as  much.  The  contents  of 
the  colon  will  not  be  fermentable  and  bacteria- 


264  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

producing.  At  Yale  College  and  other  places 
experiments  with  all  classes  of  men  show  that 
the  natural  reduction  of  food  to  one-third  the 
usual  quantity  increases  the  strength  from 
thirty-five  to  one  hundred  per  cent.,  the  weight 
remaining  the  same.  Athletes  have  to 
"  train,"  omitting  certain  kinds  of  food,  quit- 
ting smoking  and  drinking  stimulants.  Sim- 
ple, natural  one-third  eaters  do  not  "  train." 
They  are  in  training  all  the  time.  Mr.  Horace 
Fletcher,  a  literary  gentleman  past  middle  age, 
took  the  ' '  varsity  ' '  crew  work  at  Yale  with  the 
freshmen.  They  were  three-thirds  eaters,  Mr. 
Fletcher  a  one-third  eater,  living  on  seventeen 
cents  per  day.  He  lost  no  weight  during  the 
seven  days  training,  had  no  illness,  was  in  as 
good  trim  at  close  as  at  beginning.  The  fresh- 
men were  troubled  physically,  rested  some 
from  work,  lost  weight,  were  not  in  as  good 
condition  at  close  as  at  beginning. 

That  harm  comes  from  overeating  is  proved 
beyond  a  doubt,  but  no  one  overbreathes.  If 
one  eats  more  leisurely  when  poised,  he  loses 
no  time  thus,  for  he  has  the  same  time  to  eat 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         265 

a  one-third  quantity  that  others  have  to  eat  the 
three-thirds  quantity. 

One  sees  how  housekeeping  expenses  can  be 
reduced,  how  the  servants  may  be  underworked 
rather  than  overworked. 

The  Japanese  are  perhaps  the  best  example 
of  all-round  success  which  accompanies  or  fol- 
lows fairly  correct  nutrition,  scientific  breath- 
ing, poised  thinking.  Their  Buddhistic  relig- 
ious practices  include  deep  breathing.  Their 
food  is  simple,  as  a  whole,  much  of  it  uncooked 
and  from  the  vegetable  kingdom.  Their  chil- 
dren eat,  in  a  general  way,  what  their 
*  '  mouths  water  ' '  for,  and  they  are  not  ordered 
to  "  eat  what  is  set  before  them,  asking  no 
questions  for  conscience'  sake."  Their  be- 
havior, as  a  nation,  during  the  war  with  Eus- 
sia,  shows  that  their  living  methods  produce 
great  strength,  endurance,  health  of  all  kinds. 
Strictly  speaking,  there  cannot  be  health  of  one 
kind  only  any  more  than  there  can  be  a  perfect 
working  heart  in  a  body  whose  liver  is  dis- 
eased. 

"  Eat  what  is  set  before  you,  asking  no  ques- 


266  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTEOL 

tions  for  conscience'  sake,"  followed  strictly, 
may,  in  a  way,  seem  to  make  it  easier  for  the 
housekeeper,  the  parents,  but  this  is  a  short- 
sighted view.  The  same  motive  leads  us  to 
give  peremptory  orders  in  general  to  children, 
to  everybody,  and  not  to  make  reasonable  re- 
quests,—  requests  that  make  ladies  or  gentle- 
men or  poised  people  of  all  or  of  more  than 
the  fiat  way  does. 

Here  is  a  personal  observation:  Little 
Miss  D.  was  recovering  from  a  severe  cold. 
She  did  not  want  any  roast  beef  at  dinner.  She 
wished  some  salted  almonds  only.  She  must 
eat  meat  and  some  of  all  the  courses,  else  she 
could  have  no  almonds.  But  almonds  would 
not  be  good  for  her,  too  rich,  hard  to  digest. 
By  some  convincing  private  conversation  with 
the  parents,  the  daughter  was  allowed  on  the 
next  occasions  to  eat  almonds  only,  which  she 
still  desired,  but  she  was  to  be  as  long  in  eating 
the  almonds  given  her  as  the  parents  were  in 
eating  all  the  courses.  Cheerfulness,  no  self- 
consciousness,  excellent  insalivation  and  mas- 
tication necessarily  followed,  and  a  new-found 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         267 

enjoyment.  Kesults  were  marvellous.  The 
hint  worked  well  as  to  other  foods.  Less  colds, 
less  severe;  appetite  keener,  languidity  a 
stranger. 

It  has  been  proved  that  negative  emotions 
affect  badly  the  total  organism.  Note  in  the 
following  how  these  emotions  do  emphatic 
work  during  the  special  times  of  eating  and 
digestion. 

The  X-ray  experiments  on  animals,  notably 
the  cat,  during  meal-time,  reveal  that  while  the 
cat  is  happy,  purring,  the  digestive  juices  flow 
well,  the  peristaltic  movements  of  the  stomach 
and  intestines  necessary  to  digestion  go  on 
rhythmically;  but  when  the  cat  is  in  any  way 
crossed,  as  by  pinching  her  tail,  imposing  on 
her  kittens,  all  the  before  mentioned  digestive 
activities  immediately  cease.  Digestion  stops. 
This  may  be  acute  indigestion.  When  the  cat 
is  made  peaceful  again,  all  goes  well  in  the 
digestive  work.  Man  is  more  emotional  than 
the  feline  species,  and  his  digestion  suffers 
more  under  similar  conditions. 

Two  dogs  of  like  disposition  are  fed  at  the 


268   HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

same  time  on  the  same  kind  of  foods,  one  being 
kept  angered  during  the  meal  and  for  two  or 
three  hours  afterward,  the  other  being  kept  in 
a  very  happy  mood.  After  the  experimental 
time  is  over,  the  stomachs  being  examined, 
there  is  found  no  food  in  the  stomach  of  the 
happy  dog;  all  is  digested  and  has  gone  into 
the  intestines  or  blood,  but  in  that  of  the  an- 
gered dog  all  the  food  is  there,  undigested. 
Man  is  more  emotional  than  the  canine  species, 
and  suffers  much  more  severely  under  similar 
circumstances. 

In  all  these  effects  the  reader  will  recognize 
the  laws  of  the  emotions  working  their  effects. 
The  breathing  of  the  angry  dog  and  the  cat  at 
once  becomes  lessened  and  all  the  train  of  bad 
functioning  follows. 

A  physician  gave  two  dogs  their  breakfasts, 
like  food,  under  like  conditions.  One  was  put 
into  the  kennel,  the  other  for  several  hours  ran 
into  the  country  for  a  long  distance  with  his 
master  who  made  a  business  call  by  carriage. 
On  returning  he  examined  the  dogs'  stomachs; 
the  kennel  dog's  breakfast  had  passed  on  into 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         269 

blood,  that  of  the  running  dog  was  still  in  his 
stomach,  showing  no  signs  of  digestion.  Why? 
Both  dogs  were  happy.  Not  a  case  of  emo- 
tional effect.  The  running  dog  used  all  his 
blood  sparable  in  his  active  muscles,  digestive 
juices  could  not  be  generated,  digestion  could 
not  go  on.  The  blood  of  the  resting  dog  could 
generate  sufficient  digestive  juices  and  his  food 
digested  normally. 

It  is  said  that  Henry  Ward  Beecher  used 
artificial  means,  as  a  warming-pan,  to  keep  his 
feet  warm  while  he  thought  out  his  sermons  and 
wrote  his  literary  productions.  His  thinking 
drew  much  blood  to  the  head  to  replenish  brain 
waste  and  his  feet  were  cold  from  the  lack  of 
it.    He  died  of  apoplexy. 

One  ought  to  learn  from  such  experiments 
and  observations  that  while  eating  (and  at  all 
times)  he  should  be  happy,  cheerful,  kind- 
hearted,  and  that  to  engage  in  strenuous  activi- 
ties, with  mind  or  muscle,  immediately  after 
eating,  is  certain  sin,  evil.  Serious  reading 
while  eating  is  anti-digestion.  If  one  must 
hasten  for  the  train,  running  for  it,  he  can  get 


270  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

a  few  moments  rest  by  eating  less,  or  at  least, 
he  can  hasten  for  the  train  in  great  peace, 
good  breathing,  gladness.  This  will  conserve 
very  much  the  energy  of  the  body. 

It  is  easy  here  to  prove  that  sorrowing,  re- 
gretting, mourning,  weeping,  are  ungodly  pas- 
times. They  can  kill  the  body  very  quickly  if 
one  indulges  in  them  keenly,  consciously ;  e.  g. 
acute  indigestion.  Any  organ  can  have  acute 
malperformance  of  its  function,  as  the  heart 
ceasing  to  beat,  the  liver  ceasing  to  secrete 
and  excrete  bile.  The  X-ray  proves  beyond  a 
doubt  that  it  is  deathward  to  indulge  in  any 
negative  emotion  during  the  eating,  and  what 
is  true  during  the  eating  process  is  of  course 
true  all  the  time  on  all  the  functionings,  as 
digestion  may  and  assimilation  does  go  on  al- 
ways. One  says  she  feels  better  after  a  good 
cry.  So  does  one  feel  comparatively  better 
after  having  been  lost  in  the  woods,  to  find  his 
way  out  of  them,  but  it  would  have  been  better 
not  to  lose  his  bearings.  St.  Paul  says  in 
Ferrar  Fenton's  version:  "  For  I  have  learned 
in  whatever  state  I  am  to  be  master  of  myself.' ' 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         271 

It  is  not  here  declared  that  any  one  is  practis- 
ing perfect  poise  or  that  he  can  perfectly  do  so, 
for  that  would  be  to  be  a  god,  but  it  is  claimed 
that  there  is  no  limit  to  what  each  one  can  do  as 
to  relating  himself  poisedly  to  all  law,  the  emo- 
tional states,  in  all  directions.  If  it  is  wise  to 
weep  while  eating,  it  is  foolish  to  think  that 
God  can  even  permit  us  to  work  out  our  salva- 
tion, for  it  cannot  be  done  that  way.  A  noted 
lecturer  and  Christian  college  professor  re- 
cently said  publicly  in  Boston:  "  A  dyspeptic 
has  neither  faith,  hope,  nor  charity.  He  may 
be  a  saint,  but  he  cannot  be  a  holy  man.  Holi- 
ness, haleness,  wholeness,  health  are  derived 
from  the  same  root-word." 

There  have  been  verdicts  given  by  juries 
based  on  expert  testimony  on  digestion  as  to 
which  of  two  persons  was  murdered  first,  as 
father  and  mother,  to  decide  whether  the  prop- 
erty should  go  to  the  paternal  or  maternal 
heirs.  The  advancement  of  digestion,  the  two 
persons  having  eaten  at  the  same  time,  is  not 
a  true  test  of  who  died  first.  The  different 
emotional  states  of  mind  existing  in  each  dur- 


272  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

ing  the  eating  and  until  the  killing,  could  make 
minutes '  or  hours'  difference  in  the  advance- 
ment of  the  stomach's  work. 

Not  only  emotional  states  as  such,  influence 
digestion,  but  as  all  surroundings  influence  the 
mind  emotionally,  every  vibration  around  us 
through  any  sense  organ  or  by  a  general  sense, 
affects  us  kindly  or  unkindly.  To  eat  in  the 
woods  on  a  picnic  is  to  have  good  digestion. 
Gladness,  varied  scenery  and  "  associations  " 
are  uplifting  mentally  and  digestionally.  The 
shape  of  the  dining-room,  the  style  of  the  fur- 
niture, the  color  of  the  walls,  and  the  like, 
make,  with  some  very  weakly  emotional  people, 
the  difference  of  digestion  and  indigestion. 
Personal  experience  has  shown  some  students 
to  be  so  delicately  affected  that  they  could  not 
do  anything  at  first,  not  even  take  a  deeper 
breath,  until  all  shades  had  been  drawn  just 
so,  furniture  rearranged  differently,  colored 
charts  readjusted  or  removed.  This  extreme 
habit  soon  changes  for  poise  under  scientific 
attention  to  one's  ways. 

Factories,  school  buildings,  homes,  remedial 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         273 

institutions,  could  be  made  along  broad  lines, 
much  more  health-giving,  just  in  the  matter  of 
shape  and  color,  scientifically  attended  to. 

It  is  said  by  somewhat  of  an  authority  in 
physiology  and  psychology  that  a  person  in- 
dulging much  in  eating  red  beets,  grows  jeal- 
ous ;  eating  green  peas,  joyous ;  carrots,  mild ; 
turnips,  despondent,  mad.  The  chemical  in- 
gredients in  these,  complementing  the  colors, 
produce  these  effects. 

Another  authority  says  that  one  who  lives 
much  among  purple  surroundings  becomes 
mad;  scarlet,  mad  and  desirous  of  killing 
friends  and  relatives;  blue,  as  if  drugged; 
green,  soothed;  yellow,  hysterical;  white, 
maddened,  dazed.  Some  of  these  results  were 
reached  by  much  confinement  in  rooms  of  these 
colors,  which  would  heighten  or  vary  results 
from  the  emotional  restraint  effect.  By  living 
and  moving  freely  among  mixed  color-sur- 
roundings, one  color  predominating  here,  an- 
other there,  and  by  different  associational 
ideas,  with  some  .attention  to  scientific  plan- 


274  HEALTH   THKOUGH    SELF-CONTKOL 

ning  as  to  shape  and  finish,  —  health  vibra- 
tions are  much  favored. 

An  oblong  room,  1x2,  or  V/2  x  2,  suggests 
freedom;  a  circular  room  tires,  no  end;  a 
square  room  savors  of  confinement,  strictness. 

Music  at  hotels  during  dining  hours  may  help 
or  hinder  digestion  according  to  the  sentiment 
aroused  by  the  music.  Negative  music  would 
lead  the  diner  to  order  less  from  the  menu; 
positive  music,  arousing,  would  lead  to  ade- 
quate orders.  No  suggestion  is  made  that  the 
music  can  be  adapted  to  influence  orders  to  the 
full  money  and  health  limit.  It  is  surely  better 
to  have  bright  music  than  dull  or  sad  during 
the  eating  time,  if  we  must  have  music  then  at 
all,  but  why  have  any?  Healthful  eating  re- 
quires the  cheerful  attention  of  the  eater  to 
his  alimentary  business  in  hand.  Light,  cheer- 
ful conversation,  laughter  may  well  attend  the 
meal.  Earnest  attention  will  cause  too  much 
blood  to  go  to  the  head,  drawing  from  the  ali- 
mentary needs.  When  diners  try  to  converse 
learnedly;  listen  to  music,  good  or  bad;  ad- 
mire pictures,  furniture;   scan  the  people;  try 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY        275 

to  hear  all  that  is  said,  in  spite  of  the  drown- 
ing music  tones ;  superintend  the  glad  function 
of  eating,  all  at  the  same  time,  life  becomes 
very  strenuous,  and  results  digestively  are  dis- 
appointing, to  say  the  least.  Why  not  listen  to 
music  while  reading  or  examining  art  prod- 
ucts? One  thing,  in  a  general  way,  at  a  time, 
and  that  thing  well  attended  to,  is  best.  Notice 
people  at  the  dining-table  scowling,  trying  to 
make  their  neighbors  hear  their  remarks  while 
they  are  listening  to  the  music.  Before  the 
meal,  between  the  courses,  at  the  close,  the 
music  would  be  better,  but  if  music  must  ac- 
company the  eating,  then  converse  not,  only 
eat  during  the  music  parts.  This  matter  may 
seem  trivial,  but  when  waking  life  is  so  filled 
with  hustle,  if  one  will  rest  a  little  his  mind  at 
these  times,  he  may  keep  away  nerve  exhaus- 
tion. 

The  Lord's  Supper,  the  eucharist,  may  be  a 
means  of  health  or  non-health.  If  it  is  par- 
taken of  in  any  emotion  as  sorrow,  regret,  it  is, 
must  be  detrimental  to  the  Christian  life, 
health.    Partaken  of  in  gladness,  peace,  grati- 


276  HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

tude,  love  of  and  for  the  grand  life  of  Jesus 
lived  on  earth  (but  with  no  sorrowing  for  the 
world's  most  successful  death),  it  will  be  a 
royal,  lordly,  strengthening  supper.  The  blood 
and  the  mind  and  the  body  thus  can  scientif- 
ically, in  a  grand  way,  take  on  and  in  the 
strength  of  the  founder  of  the  commemorative 
repast.  Can  one  drink  the  cup  He  drank?  Not 
if  he  sorrows  while  he  drinks  to  the  victory  of 
the  life  and  death  of  Jesus.  At  the  eating-table 
many  parents  make  all  their  corrections  of  the 
children's  mistakes,  derelictions,  disobediences, 
in  scolding,  negating,  repressing  tones.  These 
same  parents  may  have  preceded  the  meal  by 
"  asking  a  blessing  "  on  the  food,  often  per- 
functorily. Then  this  blessing  is  followed  by 
1 '  cursing  ' '  the  food,  for  they  make  its  health- 
fulness  to  the  body  less  and  less,  or  even  harm- 
ful, by  persisting,  tense  attitudes  in  their  cor- 
rections. Such  parents  show  greater  non-self- 
control,  worse  behavior,  by  thus  going  against 
God's  laws  of  digestion,  than  the  sons  and 
daughters  do  by  their  careless  disobedience  and 
delinquencies  toward  their  parents.    Let  glad- 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         277 

ness,  kind-heartedness  prevail  always  at  the 
table,  at  least.  It  should  prevail  everywhere. 
Let  there  be  some  other  time  for  tense  correc- 
tions. If  we  were  what  we  desire  our  children 
to  be,  we  would  never  be  tense  with  them. 
What  we  eat  and  breathe  make  our  blood,  and 
how  that  breathing  takes  place  and  how  the 
blood  is  made,  and  how  stored  in  the  body  for 
use,  all  depends  on  the  state  of  our  minds  while 
we  eat,  —  for  better  or  for  worse. 

In  many  families  hurry  is  the  standing  order 
for  all  the  day  and  night,  but  it  often  is  especial 
hurry  at  the  table.  Children  and  all  are  hur- 
ried up  in  the  morning;  hurried  to  breakfast; 
hurried  through  it ;  hurried  to  school  or  work ; 
hurried  home  to  dinner;  hurried  on  errands 
and  to  school;  hurried  home  from  school;  to 
music  lessons ;  dancing  lessons ;  work ;  school 
lessons;  supper  or  dinner;  then  to  lessons,  or 
hurried  to  play  some  games  or  to  attend  some 
concert;  finally  hurried  to  bed;  hurried  to 
sleep ;  hurried  to  sleep  all  they  can.  One  feels 
like  asking  the  merciful  God  to  preserve  us 
from  the  death-dealing  results  of  this  way  of 


278  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

living,  but  He  cannot  change  cause  and  effect. 
"  He  changeth  not."  He  leaves  it  to  us  to 
keep  the  law,  not  to  break  it  —  yet  we  do  not 
break  or  keep  the  law,  it  breaks  or  keeps  us. 
"  Died  of  quick  lunch  "  would  be  oftentimes  a 
true  epitaph. 

A  gentleman  who  has  worked  his  way  up  in 
a  noted  New  England  manufacturing  company 
left  school  at  fourteen  years  of  age.  It  was 
planned  that  he  should  go  through  college. 
During  his  fourteenth  year  he  developed 
nausea  and  vomiting.  These  occurred  espe- 
cially mornings  on  his  way  to  school,  only  on 
school  mornings.  Parent  nor  physician  could 
allay  the  trouble.  He  was  obliged  to  quit 
school.  He  went  to  work  in  the  mill.  In  a  con- 
versation with  him  it  was  learned  that  he  had 
not  had  nausea  since  his  leaving  school,  and 
not  before  that  last  school  year.  His  last 
teacher  was  a  male  teacher  whom  he  hated  and 
would  not  care  to  meet  again ;  all  his  previous 
teachers  were  ladies,  and  he  loved  them  all, 
their  very  names.  He  was  an  emotional  child, 
and  his  dread  on  his  way  to  school  to  meet  one 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         279 

he  feared  so  affected  his  sympathetic  nerve  sys- 
tem through  his  total  mind,  that  the  stomach 
lost  its  rhythm,  was  convulsed,  and  ejected  the 
food.  This  would  also  mean  that  all  the  effects 
of  the  emotional  laws  were  taking  place  in  his 
system  for  non-health. 

Many  a  person  digests  his  breakfast,  lunch, 
and  dinner  after  he  has  retired  to  rest  at  night. 
During  his  meals  and  between  them  he  is  tense, 
hurried,  worried,  pushed,  sorry,  scolding,  and 
the  food  remains  a  "  dead  weight  "  in  his 
stomach  until  rest  or  "  sleep,  nature's  sweet 
restorer,' '  permits  digestion  to  go  on  —  unless 
nightmare  should  be  in  his  dreams,  then  in  the 
morning  he  is  despondent,  appetiteless,  yet 
needing  food  in  his  blood,  but  not  in  his  stom- 
ach and  intestines.  Does  this  way  of  living  in 
any  way  pay?  It  is  a  failure  in  the  most  em- 
phatic sense.  The  reaction  of  such  a  nerved 
state  on  the  mind  is  still  more  despondency 
and  weakness. 

Laughter,  even  mechanically  started,  will 
help  digestion  much  right  here  in  this  chronic 
state  of  indigestion.    "  Laugh  and  grow  fat." 


280  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

"  Fat  "  used  to  be  considered  a  sign  of  health. 
1 '  Grin  and  bear  it  ' '  suggests  laughter  's  worth. 
Man  is  the  only  animal  that  laughs  consciously. 
He  suffers  more  from  his  conscience,  emo- 
tional errors,  than  the  lower  animals  do,  but  he 
has  the  rectifying  laugh  to  offset  this  defect. 
He  ought  to  use  it.  In  laughter  the  diaphragm, 
not  the  ribs,  move  up  and  down,  activating  the 
stomach  and  all  the  digestive  organs,  including 
lungs  and  heart.  Authority  says  the  dia- 
phragm makes  three  hundred  movements  down 
and  three  hundred  up,  or  six  hundred  down 
and  up  during  a  minute,  or  thirty-six  hundred 
during  an  hour.  Such  activity  will  arouse 
forces  enough  to  digest  any  meal.  With  just 
these  associational  good  results  of  laughter,  is 
it  strange  how  quickly  even  the  sound  of 
laughter  makes  one  feel  better?  If  any  one 
says  he  has  nothing  in  his  life  about  which  he 
can  feel  cheerful,  or  laugh,  let  him  remember 
this  fact :  ' '  A  lady  ninety  years  of  age  had 
grown  more  cheerful  and  thankful  as  she  grew 
older,  finding  she  felt  better  in  such  mood. 
Her  seeing  and  hearing  were  defective,  but  not 


HOW   TO    EAT   HEALTHFULLY         281 

decreasing.  She  believed  that  if  she  had  al- 
ways been  more  thankful  and  glad  she  would 
have  preserved  better  her  eyes  and  ears,  and 
she  made  use  of  this  belief  to  establish  her  in 
gladness.  She  was  poor  in  property.  A  physi- 
cian asked  her  how  she  managed  to  be  so  cheer- 
ful all  the  time.  She  replied  that  she  had  many 
things  to  be  thankful  for,  the  chief  one  being 
that  she  had  two  teeth  left  and  they  were  op- 
posite to  each  other,  giving  her  such  pleasure 
in  mastication. ' '  Addison  says:  "  Cheerful- 
ness is  the  best  promoter  of  health,  and  as 
friendly  to  the  mind  as  to  the  body." 

The  body  is  composed  of  at  least  fourteen 
elements:  hydrogen,  oxygen,  carbon,  nitrogen, 
sulphur,  chlorine,  sodium,  fluorine,  iron,  silicon, 
phosphorus,  potassium,  magnesium,  calcium, 
either  in  simple  or  combined  conditions. 

A  potato  grows  well  if  it  has  appropriate 
surroundings  and  has  within  its  reach  certain 
elements  to  imbibe  of  which  it  is  composed,  as 
carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen,  and  we  do  well  if  we 
are  well  environed  and  can  present  to  our  ali- 
mentary canal  and  lungs  the  fourteen  named 


282  HEALTH   THBOUGH    SELF-CONTEOL 

elements  necessary  to  the  human  body,  to  be 
imbibed  into  the  blood  in  the  right  propor- 
tions; if  not,  then  like  the  potato,  we  shall 
droop  and  die.  We  must  admit  that  our 
strength  comes  from  everywhere.  Mind  alone 
now  is  not  all  that  must  be  reckoned  with.  One 
cannot  breathe  carbon  dioxide  alone,  and  live 
in  the  body,  at  present  at  least,  or  he  does  not 
now  do  so.  Some  day  mind  and  body  may  be 
one,  and  one  vibration,  as  suggested  by  St.  Paul 
in  the  resurrectional  philosophy,  but  now  the 
mind  surely  builds  its  body  out  of  definite  ele- 
ments which  are  ' '  modes  of  motion. ' '  As  long 
as  we  are  in  the  embryotic  stage,  an  osteopath 
may  remove  a  lesion  in  the  body's  vibration 
more  quickly  and  easily  than  a  Christian  sci- 
entist or  a  mental  scientist  can ;  a  surgeon  may 
set  a  bone  for  reunion ;  a  physician  diagnose  a 
lack  of  phosphorus  in  the  system  and  prescribe 
the  right  food,  better  than  the  metaphysician 
can.  "  All  things  work  together  for  good  to 
him  that  loves  the  Lord,"  loves  all  law  of  the 
Eternal  One. 
Let  us  use  all  betterment  agents,  only  with- 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         283 

out  fear,  believing  all  help  is  from  God  in  the 
broadest  sense.  An  iron  vibration  may  be 
needed  in  a  certain  person,  it  being  absent,  and 
no  mental  treatment  does  now  supply  an  iron 
vibration,  yet  it  may  in  the  future,  and  it  is  not 
denied  that  it  never  has  in  the  past  supplied 
its  equivalent.  But  let  us  not  drown,  waiting 
for  a  straw  of  the  desired  color.  Doubtless 
many  a  death  comes  about  because  the  body 
has  become  exhausted  of  some  one  or  more 
elements,  the  food  lacking  these  for  a  time. 

Scientists  are  finding  out  just  what  elements, 
and  in  what  proportion,  form  the  bodies  of 
birds,  rabbits,  starfishes,  and  the  like,  in  their 
best  living  conditions.  They  can  by  the  syn- 
thesis of  the  right  elements  in  the  right  pro- 
portions, under  appropriate  chemical,  thermal, 
and  electrical  conditions,  produce  the  corre- 
sponding animal  in  embryo,  at  least.  This 
surely  indicates  that  definite  elements  in  dif- 
ferent amounts  must  be  present  in  the  body 
to  permit  the  animal  to  be  at  his  best. 

Then  eat  a  variety,  not  necessarily  at  one 
meal,  but  during  the  day,  that  the  body  may 


284  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

receive  its  God-appointed  consistency,  its  evo- 
lutioned  "  survival  of  the  fittest  "  material. 
Eat  what  is  proved  to  ' '  sit  best, ' '  alimentarily 
speaking.  Form  a  normal  appetite  and  all  will 
go  well,  but  one  must  see  to  it  consciously  that 
his  food  has  the  fourteen  elements  in  it,  if  he 
discovers  any  weakening  deficiency  in  himself 
that  cannot  be  gotten  easily  rid  of  by  the  best 
thinking,  breathing,  and  eating  conditions. 

Moreover,  the  absence  or  excess  or  insuffi- 
ciency of  certain  salts  or  chemical  ingredients 
in  the  blood,  in  the  red  corpuscles  especially, 
prevents  the  oxygen  from  the  lungs  being  prop- 
erly absorbed  by  the  blood  and  from  being 
taken  to  all  parts  of  the  body  for  use,  and  like- 
wise the  same  conditions  of  constituency  of 
the  blood  may  prevent  the  absorption  of  the 
carbon  dioxide  where  it  is  formed  by  muscle 
action  and  thought,  and  thus  this  poison  waste 
cannot  be  carried  to  the  lungs  and  out  of  the 
body.  One  may  breathe  and  breathe  with  his 
lungs,  or  try  to  do  so,  and  yet  feel  suffocated, 
unsatisfied,  lose  consciousness  or  die  from  such 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         285 

a  food  condition.    We  are  surely  what  we  eat, 
breathe,  and  think. 

If  one  will  cultivate  a  royal,  subjective  mind 
(normal  appetite  will  indicate  it),  that  subject- 
ive, subconscious  condition  will  select  and  use 
the  right  elements,  proportionally  too,  if  the 
fourteen  elements  are  presented  to  the  alimen- 
tary canal;  and  the  normal  appetite  will  sug- 
gest what  the  body  needs. 

The  alkalinity  and  acidity  of  the  blood  will 
be  supervised  properly  when  the  chemist 
builder,  subconscious  mind,  is  serene  and  has 
within  its  reach  all  the  elements  in  sufficient 
quantities.  It  cannot  build  a  wooden  house 
without  lumber,  nor  a  stone  house  without  rock. 
If  one  prefers,  he  can  test  or  have  each  day  his 
blood  tested  as  to  its  acidity  and  alkalinity  and 
thus  know  fairly  well  how  to  vary  his  food,  in- 
gredients. This  is  not  as  spiritually  advanced 
as  when  food,  so  to  speak,  cares  for  itself  and 
the  blood  is  the  result  of  poised  living.  It  is 
not  of  so  much  importance  that  we  eat  a  par- 
ticular thing  or  do  not  eat  it,  as  to  how  we  eat 
it  and  to  the  variety  eaten. 


286  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

Twenty-five  dietarians  are  said  to  have  dined 
together.  Each  unknown  to  the  other  was  to 
cross  out  all  the  dishes  he  considered  harmful 
as  food.  The  menus  were  examined.  Each  and 
every  dish  was  crossed  out.  Of  course,  some 
dishes  were  cancelled  by  many  of  the  diners, 
some  only  by  one  or  two. 

How  many  meals  a  day  shall  we  eat?  If  we 
are  going  to  be  so  tense,  hurried,  and  wor- 
ried that  no  digestion  will  take  place  until  the 
peaceful  evening  comes,  it  might  be  better  to 
eat  only  one  meal  per  day,  and  that  one  near 
the  evening. 

Amount  of  work  done,  physical  and  mental, 
the  emotional  states  we  are  in,  the  kind  of  occu- 
pation, ought  to  decide  how  much  we  need  to 
eat  and  how  often  to  eat.  All  any  one  needs 
is  enough  of  all  elements  to  do  his  thinking  and 
work  with  plus  something  for  growth  if  grow- 
ing, and  enough  extra  for  the  body's  repair  as 
a  machine.  More  than  this  is  a  nervous  drag. 
Why  we  should  not  eat  unless  a  little  hungry 
is  clear. 

The    various    emotional    states    alter    the 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         287 

amounts  of  food  consumed.  The  intellective 
thinking  and  muscle  use,  vary  the  consumption. 
A  man  with  a  hateful  disposition  consumes 
more  food  as  such  than  a  man  with  an  even, 
kind  disposition.  Hibernating  animals  live  on 
stored-up  food,  breathing  just  enough  to  keep 
physical  life  going.  The  frog  in  the  mud 
"  keeps  house  "  in  the  winter  very  inexpen- 
sively, no  work,  no  thinking,  no  eating,  pos- 
sibly but  very  little  breathing.  In  cataleptic 
states,  food  and  oxygen  are  at  a  minimum  or 
even  zero  quantity.  The  heavy  muscle  and 
brain  worker  must  have  much  oxygen  and  food 
to  keep  well. 

The  typical  work  of  the  lungs,  as  such,  is  to 
administer  oxygen  to  the  blood  and  receive 
carbon  dioxide  from  it.  This  work  can  be  all 
subconscious.  Consciousness  can  increase  or 
decrease  this  usual  rhythm  of  quantity.  The 
lungs  have  no  substitute.  The  stomach  gener- 
ates and  receives  gastric  juice  for  food  diges- 
tion. It  will  take  no  substitute,  successfully. 
The  liver  secretes  bile.  It  resists  charity.  "We 
may  administer  pepsin  and  glucose,  and  the  or- 


288  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTROL 

gans  that  are  in  us  to  secrete  these  chemical 
products  may  seem  for  a  time  to  be  helped,  but 
finally  the  ability  to  do  any  organic  work 
ceases.  The  life  of  the  organ  is  its  work  and 
product,  supervised  by  the  subconscious  mind. 
Favor  the  eyes  with  too  strong  glasses,  too 
much  assistance,  and  they  lose  power.  Appro- 
priate use  is  strength,  health,  life;  disuse  is 
weakness,  disease,  death.  "  When  we  prop  a 
person  we  help  him  weaken  himself,  and  he 
will  show  us  his  protest  by  kicking  us  for  it." 
A  vegetarian  eats  only  products  from  the 
vegetable  kingdom,  cooked  or  uncooked.  All 
the  fourteen  elements  can  be  gotten  from  that 
kingdom.  The  animal  meat  one  eats  is  almost 
entirely  or  may  be  wholly  derived  from  the 
plant  kingdom.  Eating  meat  may  engender  in 
the  eater  some  of  the  propensities  of  the  animal 
eaten.  So  will  eating  vegetables  engender  in 
the  vegetarian  the  tendency  of  the  peculiar 
vegetable,  but  vegetables  have  milder  influ- 
ences, as  a  whole,  than  animals.  The  mild  sub- 
jective minds  of  the  plants  differ  from  the 
somewhat  emotional  mind  of  the  animal,  and 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         289 

one  may  receive  a  worse  vibration  from  the 
animal  meat  than  from  the  vegetable.  Can- 
nibalism, man  eating  man,  shows  this  principle 
extended.  A  ferocious  savage  devouring  one 
of  his  tribal  enemies  would  be  affected  in  a 
much  wilder  way  than  he  would  be  after  feast- 
ing on  a  non-combatant.  Eating  the  raw  meat 
would  give  the  peculiar  animal-life  tendencies, 
more  than  eating  the  meat  cooked  where  all 
the  cell  protoplasmic  vitality  has  disappeared. 

A  raw-food  vegetarian  probably  gets  better 
results  than  the  cooked-food  vegetarian,  for  he 
receives  into  his  system  vital  cell  tissue  un- 
killed  by  heat.  He  gets  the  best  tendencies 
there  are,  or  the  worst. 

It  is  noted  that  the  person  who  learns  to  eat 
with  a  normal  appetite,  cheerfully,  with  "  wat- 
ering of  the  mouth, ' '  tends  without  consciously 
planning,  to  become  a  vegetarian,  then  to  eat 
uncooked  vegetables,  and  while  changing  from 
a  meat  diet  to  a  vegetarian  one  he  first  loses 
desire  for  beef  and  lamb,  which  contain  more 
nitrogenous  products  than  other  meats.  Too 
much  nitrogenous  meat  food  leads  to  too  much 


290  HEALTH   THEOUGH    SELF-CONTEOL 

uric  acid  in  the  blood,  which  means  poor  blood 
and  slow  circulation  and  other  devitalizing  ni- 
trogenous effects.  Not  much  nitrogenous  food, 
as  compared  with  sugary  and  fatty  food,  is 
needed  by  the  body  for  its  work.  Five  grams 
out  of  six  grams  of  nitrogenous  food  taken  in 
one  day  are  excreted  from  the  body  in  the 
urine;  thus  one  gram  per  day  suffices  for  all 
rebuilding  of  that  kind. 

The  nitrogenous  products  oxidize  into  urea, 
carbon  dioxide,  water,  and  various  extractives. 
The  sugary  and  fatty  foods  largely  are  changed 
into  water  and  carbon  dioxide.  The  work  and 
warmth  of  the  body  and  the  thought  depend 
almost  entirely  on  the  sugary  and  fatty  prod- 
ucts eaten. 

Abdominal  obesity,  any  undue  fatness,  can 
be  gotten  rid  of  in  a  natural  way.  Diaphrag- 
matic breathing  assists.  Eating  only  what  the 
body  really  needs  assists,  as  in  that  case  there 
is  no  excess  food  in  the  system  to  be  laid  up  as 
fat,  lazy  fat,  for  fat  lacks  oxygen  as  compared 
with  muscle;  when  the  oxygen  and  food  use 
each  other  by  thought  and  muscle  action  there 


HOW   TO   EAT    HEALTHFULLY        291 

is  no  second  grade  formation,  undue  fatness. 
Poise,  diaphragmatic  breathing,  and  plenty  of 
it,  activity  of  the  parts  unduly  fat,  or  of  the 
whole  body,  a  normal  appetite  or  eating  only 
what  is  really  needed,  drive  away  or  pre- 
vent obesity.  But  any  one  of  these  acts  or 
habits  named  tends  to  bring  all  the  rest.  Poise 
in  mind  leads  to  poise  in  breathing,  eating,  ac- 
tivity. Commence  by  eating  cheerfully  and 
with  "  watering  of  the  mouth/'  and  all  the 
other  good  things  flow  in,  for  the  mind  begins 
to  become  poised  in  eating,  the  good  dia- 
phragmatic breathing  follows,  and  so  with  any 
conscious  improvement  in  any  direction.  One 
saves  himself  by  emphasizing  diaphragmatic 
breathing,  another  by  employing  normal  eat- 
ing, yet  another  by  poising  his  mind  as  mind, 
leaning  solely  to  the  metaphysical  influences. 
All  lead  to  health,  wholeness.  Mind  poise, 
power  in  each  case  is  aroused.  The  writer  has 
seen  constipation  leave  in  an  hour,  asthma  as 
quickly,  insomnia  in  a  few  minutes,  colds, 
coughs,  indigestion  immediately.  The  cases 
were  cured  by  a  sudden  intelligent  understand- 


292  HEALTH   THROUGH   SELF -CONTROL 

ing  by  the  student  of  the  laws  of  the  emotional 
effects  on  the  body  and  the  reaction  of  body  on 
mind ;  by  the  knowledge  that  two  times  as  much 
oxygen  as  digested  food  in  the  blood  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  feel  well;  that  so  much  is  in 
the  power  of  the  objectively  and  subjectively 
acting  mind,  —  then  assuming  control  of  them- 
selves in  the  name  of  universal  law,  "  God  in 
us."  It  has  not  occurred  to  the  writer  to  call 
these  "  miracles,' '  but  such  "  healths  ob- 
tained "  by  some  religious  practitioners  are 
named  "  miracles."  "  A  rose  by  any  other 
name  would  smell  as  sweet." 

When  eating  too  much  nitrogenous  food,  ir- 
ritating nitrates  are  formed  as  in  urea,  making 
the  body  ill  at  ease.  Drinking  two  quarts  or 
so  of  water  between  meals,  a  little  at  a  time 
with  frequency,  not  too  near  the  meals,  is  rec- 
ommended by  many  physicians  for  flushing  the 
bodily  tissues,  to  remove  excessive  useless 
nitrogenous  products.  When  one  is  an  un- 
cooked-food vegetarian  he  does  not  need  this 
flushing.  He  will  like  to  drink  if  his  body 
needs  the  water. 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         293 

Cooking  is  not  a  necessity,  it  is  not  practised 
by  wild  animals,  not  even  by  the  most  intel- 
ligent monkeys  and  apes,  not  by  the  wild  men. 
Because  man  has  devised  cooking,  it  is  no  proof 
of  its  wisdom.  Man  has  devised  a  great  many 
things  with  his  extra  developed  objective  con- 
scious mind,  that  are  proving  detrimental, 
deathward. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  evolutional 
"  survival  of  the  fittest  "  has  quite  differenti- 
ated the  work  of  the  lungs,  pores,  and  kidneys 
as  dischargers  of  waste  matter  from  the  body. 
The  lungs  carry  off  chiefly  carbon  dioxide  and 
water  moisture;  the  pores  especially  water 
moisture;  the  kidneys,  urea,  water,  and  vari- 
ous nitrogen  and  hydrogen  products. 

"  We  are  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made.,, 

The  writer  is  not  advertising  any  one  rule 
as  to  what  to  eat,  but  rather  how  to  eat.  Nat- 
uralness will  follow  in  each  individual  if  he 
will  emphasize  cheerfulness,  enjoyment,  with 
"  watering  of  the  mouth  "  and  a  variety  of 
food,  as  to  all  his  eating.  It  is  poise,  it  is  har- 
mony that  bring  health  and  success. 


294  HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

A  Civil  War  veteran  in  Dalton,  Mass.,  has 
dieted  for  five  years  on  raw  food  at  two  and 
one-half  cents  per  meal,  eating  only  once  per 
day;  three  ounces  of  uncooked  peanuts,  one 
raw  onion,  and  some  cabbage  leaves,  —  com- 
prising all  for  the  day.  This  diet  is  varied 
with  fruits,  nuts,  and  various  vegetables  in 
their  season,  the  amount  eaten  remaining  the 
same.  He  has  gotten  rid  of  rheumatism,  heart 
disease,  and  he  is  somewhat  of  an  athlete. 

The  very  best  time  to  drink  water,  which  is 
not  a  food,  does  not  undergo  chemical  changes 
in  the  body,  is  an  hour  or  so  before  eating 
time.  The  stomach  being  empty  then  receives 
a  flushing  and  is  rid  of  the  water  before  meal- 
time arrives.  Water  or  any  non-food  liquid 
taken  with  the  food,  dilutes  the  chemic  juices 
and  thus  weakens  digestion.  Ice  water  not 
only  does  this,  but  wastes  energy  in  the  stom- 
ach, in  loss  of  temperature.  No  desire  will  be 
felt  for  water  during  the  meal,  if  it  is  thus 
taken  an  hour  or  two  before  eating.  The  sub- 
jective building  mind  is  satisfied  and  does  not 
call  for  it,  as  the  body  moisture  is  complete. 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         295 

When  one  is  being  overcome  by  any  dis- 
order, disease,  let  him  at  once  rest,  lie  down, 
"  go  to  bed,"  in  a  southerly  room,  lie  head 
to  north,  omit  a  meal  or  two,  breathe  more 
pure  air,  feel  very  cheerful,  smile,  sleep,  drink 
water,  have  no  outside  callers  and  none  of  the 
family  present,  if  they  are  sad  and  fearing, 
omit  conscious  thinking,  all  that  it  is  possible. 
All  this  will  lessen  the  energy  used,  the  diges- 
tive apparatus  will  have  nearly  an  entire  rest, 
as  these  minimum  processes  of  the  body  and 
mind  will  be  easily  supported  by  ' '  stored-up  ' ' 
protoplasm,  cell  tissue.  Nature  soon  recuper- 
ates, if  given  a  chance.  Eating  is  very  unwise 
at  these  times,  unless  one  is  suffering  from  lack 
of  food;  it  is  usually  the  reverse  of  this. 

No  fasting  would  ever  be  needed  as  is  now 
practised  if  one  ate  each  day  only  what  his 
thought  and  work  and  growth  needed.  Eating 
only  when  hungry  obviates  the  necessity  of 
fasting  to  use  up  surplus  excessive  tissue,  to 
"  clean  out  the  body." 

Plants  select  subjectively  what  is  needed  for 
their  growth,  if  the  requisite  food  is  within 


296  HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

their  reach.  We  assist  them  to  food  needed, 
else  they  die.  The  selective  digestive  tract  of 
man  would  do  even  better  than  the  plants'  or- 
gans if  he  were  as  subjectively  peaceful  as  they 
are,  and  he  can  procure  all  requisite  foods; 
moreover,  his  normal  appetite  will  report  what 
particular  foods  are  needed.  The  plant  doubt- 
less reports,  but  it  cannot  move  about,  and  no 
one  may  hear  its  asking.  Possibly  the  reader 
has  seen  a  very  receptive,  psychic  person  enter 
a  room  and  hear  him  immediately  say,  ' '  There 
are  plants  here  somewhere  asking  for  water 
and  food.,, 

Evolution  and  involution  have  generated, 
changed,  and  will  continue  to  change  all  in- 
stincts well,  if  we  will  use  our  conscious  minds 
to  correct  known  inharmony  with  environment, 
such  as  displacing  hurry  with  poise,  or  making 
it  possible  to  supply  the  variety  the  normal  ap- 
petite indicates. 

With  a  glad  mind,  mouth  processes  well  at- 
tended to,  trust  in  rectified  instinct,  subjective 
mind,  educated  and  improved  to  date;  let 
there  be  happy,  fearless  selecting  of  foods  by 


HOW   TO   EAT   HEALTHFULLY         297 

the  "  digestive  tract. "  This  will  at  least  be 
more  successful  than  to  have  one's  food 
weighed  out  for  each  meal,  so  many  ounces  of 
nitrogenous,  so  many  of  the  carbohydratic,  so 
many  of  the  fatty  foods,  and  it  is  less  trouble- 
some, more  educated,  more  poised,  courageous, 
and  healthful. 

Surely  man  ought  to  do  as  well  as  to  his  ali- 
mentation as  the  wild  animals  do,  but  many 
are  not  succeeding  as  well.  Our  extra  objec- 
tive, emotional  mind  can  uniformly  be  so  used 
that  we  can  all  succeed  as  well  or  better  than 
our  less  developed  friends,  the  wild  animals. 

Eight  nutrition  leads  to  correct  character, 
correct  character  leads  to  it.  Temperance  in 
eating  means  more  control  in  all  directions. 
Drunkenness  will  disappear  when  legitimate 
pleasure  comes  from  and  in  the  act  of  eating, 
not  before. 

Emotional  self-control  brings  health.  Health 
brings  emotional  self-control. 

Health  is  a  habit,  it  is  a  science  and  an  art, 
life  is  scientific.  Health  makes  one  jubilant, 
enthusiastically   poised,   prolongs   youth   into 


298  HEALTH   THROUGH    SELF-CONTROL 

age.  All  experiences,  whether  with  water,  air, 
taste,  touch  contact,  muscle  action,  scenery, 
colors,  sounds,  music,  noise,  adversity,  loss, 
disappointment,  success,  gain,  happiness,  no 
matter  what,  are  sources  of  strength  at  once 
to  him  who  really  "  enjoys  health." 

Equilibrium  is  poise,  success.  A  terrapin 
has  recently  been  found  that  is  two  thousand 
years  old.  Four  hundred  years  is  a  "  good  old 
age  "  for  such  an  animal.  Here  is  one  that 
multiplies  the  average  age  of  his  species  by 
five.  Equilibrium  of  eating  and  of  elimination, 
freedom  from  injury  by  his  enemies,  supply  of 
all  needed  elements  for  his  body,  a  life  in  some 
way  not  too  much  ruffled,  all  have  produced  two 
thousand  years  of  health.  Let  us  take  a  life 
hint  from  the  terrapin,  and  live  while  we  live, 
in  health,  and  go  to  pieces  if  we  must,  in  an 
instant,  like  the  "  one-horse  shay."  Dying 
gradually  is  not  to  be  desired.  Age  need  not 
be  decrepit. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

SCRIPTUKAL   HEALTH 

St.  Paul  told  the  Athenians  that  the  un- 
known God  they  were  searching  for,  he  was  ex- 
plaining to  them.  Scientific  experiments  and 
observations  (which  are  knowledge  of  God's 
ways,  character,  laws)  are  proving  that  the 
same  spirit,  the  same  law,  the  same  God  in 
phenomena  that  are  found  to  be  omnipresent, 
working  ever  the  same  results  from  equivalent 
causes,  are  the  same  and  as  scientific  whether 
these  causes,  laws,  and  powers  are  recorded  in 
the  Old  and  New  Testament  or  elsewhere.  The 
universe  is  a  unit.  The  "  unknown  God  "  can 
be  better  known. 

The  following  Bible  quotations  are  scientific 
and  of  universal  application. 

1  '  If  thou  wilt  diligently  hearken  to  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  and  wilt  do  that  which  is 

299 


300   HEALTH   THEOUGH   SELF-CONTKOL 

right  in  his  sight,  and  wilt  give  ear  to  his  com- 
mandments, and  keep  all  his  statutes,  I  will 
put  none  of  these  diseases  upon  thee  which  I 
have  brought  upon  the  Egyptians:  for  I  am 
the  Lord  that  healeth  thee." 

1 '  He  sent  his  word  and  healed  them  and  de- 
livered them  from  their  destruction." 

"  Then  shall  thy  light  break  forth  as  the 
morning,  and  thine  health  shall  spring  forth 
speedily :  and  thy  righteousness  shall  go  before 
thee;  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  rear- 
ward. ' ' 

11  That  thy  way  may  be  known  upon  earth, 
thy  saving  health  among  all  nations." 

*  *  Who  f  orgiveth  all  thine  inquities ;  who 
healeth  all  thy  diseases.  ...  So  that  thy 
youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagles." 

"  But  they  that  wait  on  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings 
as  eagles;  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary; 
and  they  shall  walk  and  not  be  faint." 

"  But  unto  you  that  hear  my  name  shall  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his 


SCEIPTUKAL   HEALTH  301 

wings;  and  ye  shall  go  forth,  and  grow  up  as 
calves  of  the  stall.' ' 

"  Heal  me  and  I  shall  be  healed;  save  me 
and  I  shall  be  saved :  for  thou  art  my  praise. ' ' 

"  Come,  and  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord: 
for  he  hath  torn  and  he  will  heal  us;  he  hath 
smitten,  and  he  will  bind  us  up." 

"  Likewise  the  spirit  also  helpeth  our  in- 
firmities." 

' '  And  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick, 
and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up.  .  .  .  Pray 
for  one  another  that  ye  may  be  healed.  The 
effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man 
availeth  much." 


THE  END. 


Date  Due 

S 

f) 

SL*T 


